This is a crucial moment, as governments tackle energy transition away from fossil fuels. EV’s are seen as the way forward and this appears to be a preferred option for the future of transport. In Norway 35.5% of all new car registrations are pure electric. Is this the future? Now seems a good time to consider.
The rise of electric cars poses some new challenges. In this post, the case against private electric car ownership is laid out. There are plenty of places to go to read about how great they are.
1 They don’t use less energy.
Unless EV’s are lighter, they are merely displacing the source of the energy generation, not using less energy. This increases demand on national grids, which in turn puts pressure on the energy mix and national grid infrastructure.
2 You don’t know what energy mix you are using.
If you buy a petrol car, petrol goes in. An electric car is only as clean as the energy mix of the country in which they are charged. They might be running on 42 % Natural gas (UK), or 63% coal (Australia). Yes it is cleaner, no it is not zero emissions.
3 You have to make them.
The manufacturing carbon cost of a car is about half of all lifecycle carbon costs. This means that western countries that import EV’s can claim emission reductions while moving the emissions from manufacture “off the books” to the country of build. It is likely that fossil fuel cars will be driven off the road early in their design life, through punitive taxation, when we could be getting the most out of them by maintenance and lifetime extension. Reducing new build emissions.
4 Inequality
Poorer people tend to drive older cars. These people will be adversely affected when the middle classes simply swap out old for new and the aforementioned pollution taxes and restrictions hit the least well off hardest.
5 Resource Extraction
Proponents of EVs may not want to hear that Cobalt is primarily mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo sometimes using child labour, or that the copper mining industry is ramping up mine development to accommodate the electrification trend. Cobalt and Lithium may not be rare exactly, but new mines and increased extraction will create more environmental pressure and restrictions may increase EV cost exacerbating the inequality issue.
6 A Potential Waste Battery Mountain
As little as 5% of batteries are recycled in the EU. This will surely increase, but EV’s have the ability to create a new toxic dump issue. Can the batteries be recycled? yes, but who will pay to do so?
7 Public Transport Infrastructure
This is the time when countries should be looking to increase their public transport infrastructure and making urban areas pedestrian and cycle friendly. If EV’s quickly become a plug and play replacement for conventional fuel use cars, then this opportunity will be lost. There will be no incentive to do so. Governments, who so often prioritise the economy, will be delighted they do not have to invest in public transport and will happily look on as EV sales boost their precious GDP growth. Therefore city streets will be unchanged, jams of nose to tail petrol and diesel vehicles, will be replaced by nose to tail EV’s and pedestrians and cyclists will remain the second class citizens they currently are.
8 Exhaust Emissions are not the only issue with Cars
Brakes and tyres also emit polluting particulate and road usage and road building, tarmac, concrete etc, is not lessened because the cars are powered by the grid.
Summary
This is not to advocate against electric vehicles. Electric buses, trucks, tractors, all could have a place. But now is the time to ask if we want to change the way we live or to indulge in ourselves in the fantasy of an unchanged battery powered lifestyle. If EV’s overtake the streets, the moment to boost public transport infrastructure will be lost.
It is time to ask if we have learnt anything.