Electric vehicles (EVs) are vehicles that run solely on electricity and do not use oil, unlike traditional vehicles that rely on oil-powered engines. The invention of the first electric vehicle dates back to 1884 when oil was not yet adequately discovered. Electric cars were thought to be the future due to high crude oil prices, which led to people believing that electric vehicles were the way to go. However, the discovery of more oil, which caused its prices to drop, meant that electric vehicles remained with short-range, low-power motors and were more expensive. Consequently, people shifted to oil-powered vehicles.
Nevertheless, there is currently a boom in EVs for several reasons. The government is promoting the use of electric vehicles due to global warming caused by carbon emissions from oil-powered vehicles, crude oil price hikes due to war and other countries announcing to be EV-based. Additionally, although the initial cost of an EV is higher than that of an oil-powered vehicle, the long-term operating cost of an EV is lower. In petrol/diesel cars, one pays approximately 7-8 Rs per KM, while in an EV, it is only 1-3 Rs per KM. Promoting the use of EVs in India is also beneficial to the economy as a significant portion of the budget expense goes to the purchase of crude oil. Increasing the use of EVs reduces dependence on other nations for crude oil.
Crude Oil extraction
Crude oil extraction involves using pumping jacks, which operate on electricity or an internal combustion engine. One pumping jack consumes equivalent energy in a month that can charge an EV car for three years. After extraction, crude oil is transported either via pipeline, for which pumping stations are installed at specific intervals, consuming a lot of electricity or via ship, which also uses crude oil to transport containers from one country to another. The oil then goes to refineries and is heated at 400 degrees Celsius, further causing pollution. In contrast, generating electricity for EVs does not require digging up anything. If we produce electricity using wind or solar energy, it is entirely environmentally friendly.
Carbon footprint of manufacturing a vehicle
The carbon footprint of manufacturing a vehicle depends on several factors, including the type of vehicle, materials used, manufacturing process, and location of the production facility. Generally, the larger and more complex the vehicle, the larger its carbon footprint. This is because larger vehicles require more materials, energy, and resources to manufacture. For instance, the carbon footprint of a small car is lower than that of a large SUV or truck. The materials used also affect the carbon footprint, as some are more carbon-intensive to produce than others. Steel production, for example, is more carbon-intensive than aluminum production. The manufacturing process itself plays a significant role, including the energy used to power the production line, as well as the emissions associated with transporting materials and components to the factory. The location of the production facility also affects the carbon footprint, as transportation emissions can be higher if the factory is located far from the source of raw materials or the market for the finished product. However, it's crucial to note that the carbon footprint of a vehicle is not limited to its manufacturing. The use of the vehicle, including fuel consumption and emissions, also significantly contributes to its overall carbon footprint.It takes twice the carbon footprint to make an electric vehicle compared to an internal combustion vehicle.
Lithium-ion Battery
One of the primary parts of an EV is its battery, and currently, Lithium-ion batteries are widely used. Lithium-ion batteries are used because they are currently better than any other battery on the market, with a longer lifespan and the ability to store ten times more energy than lead batteries.
Increasing Popularity of Lithium-ion battery has resulted in High demand of Lithium, in fact lithium is the most sought-after metal on earth. As the demand for lithium increases so do the effects on the environment. Any type of resource extraction is harmful for environment, this is because removing these raw materials results in soil degradation, water shortages, Biodiversity loss, damage to ecosystem functions and an increase in global warming but when we think of extraction, we think of fossil fuels like coal and gas but unfortunately Lithium comes under the same umbrella despite paving the way for an electric future. Lithium is a highly toxic element that can harm the environment. It's poisonous to plants and animals. so, when it's released as part of mining activities, there will be an impact on the surrounding area, like Toxic water in water bodies, infertile land, polluted air. Mining consumes, contaminates, and diverts scarce water resources away from local communities, The production of lithium through evaporation ponds uses a lot of water, around 21 million liters per day. Approximately 2.2 million liters of water is needed to produce one ton of lithium. Lithium extraction requires a lot of water to extract one ton of lithium you need approximately 5,00,000 gallons of water.
We buy a lot of electronic items out of which most of them use a battery but, what after that product is no more in usable condition. What will happen to that battery? Are we able to recycle the battery or it will destroy the environment?
Talking of a disposable alkaline battery, it requires 50 times more energy than it can provide in its lifetime. In all manufacturing enough disposable batteries to provide 1kWH of energy contribute to climate change as 458 km by Car.
In Australia 98% lithium-ion batteries ended up landfill in 2014. The mercury one used in button cell can pollute 400 liters of water or 1 cubic meter soil for 50 years. In the process of extracting lithium, water is taken from lake, it also takes ground water with it, which is not good for the dry areas. To make a battery of medium range it takes up to 12,000L water. According to it, Areas with less water will become Barren in next 5-6 Years.
[Picture 1 - Shows how oil extraction and OPVs are causing damage to Earth. Picture 2(An EV taking lot's of water and lithium which is going for landfilling) - Huge amount of water consumption for Lithium extraction.]
Conclusion
In conclusion, while electric vehicles (EVs) have a higher initial manufacturing carbon footprint compared to oil-powered vehicles, they are more environmentally friendly in the long run. However, the production and disposal of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in EVs, have negative impacts on the environment due to the toxicity of lithium and the consumption of large amounts of water. Therefore, it is crucial to develop sustainable solutions for battery production and disposal to ensure that the EV transition is truly environmentally friendly. Overall, the shift towards EVs is essential for reducing our dependence on crude oil, which has negative environmental and economic impacts.