Are Electric Vehicles Really Better For The Environment?
Do you know all the “dirty secrets” of electric vehicles? Three Myths & Two Facts — We’re the EV MythBusters!
This is the second article in a series on the myths that lead to misunderstandings & poor adoption of EVs. In the previous article in this series, we covered myths surrounding the range of electric vehicles, “range anxiety” and factors that affect range. In this article, we cover one of the most important misunderstandings around Electric Vehicles — the Pollution caused by EVs!
In a fully Battery-operated Electric Vehicle (BEVs), there are no “tailpipe emissions” or “direct emissions”. This means that there is no smoke, no unburnt carbon/soot, no COx/NOx/SOx, Greenhouse gases (GHGs), no particulate matter, etc. that come out of the vehicle while it is being driven. Vehicular tailpipe emissions are a major cause (between 14% to 43%) of pollution in our cities. (source: Link1, Link2, Link3)
So, logic suggests that if we remove all vehicular tailpipe emissions then most of our pollution problems will be solved right? If we all go ‘100% Electric’, there won’t be any more smoke on the road! So, obviously EVs, and BEVs specifically, cannot be polluting! Isn’t it? Well… yes, and no.
Yes — there will be a lot less smoke, soot & GHGs on the road when most of our traffic goes electric. This is true. There will be massive health benefits for us all, and for the generations to come (see the section below (Fact 1) on the impact of pollution on unborn fetuses).
But, looking at only the tailpipe emissions paints too rosy a picture. Just like in Internal Combustion Engines, there are other sources of pollution in Electric Vehicles as well. As we move to an Electric Future, it is important for us to understand these other sources, compare them to Internal-combustion Engines & make the best decision. Let’s tackle a few of the big ones below:
- Myth/Misunderstanding 1: Pollution when “Electrifying” the EVs — a.k.a. our Electricity itself is ‘Dirty’
- Myth/Misunderstanding 2: Pollution while Manufacturing the EVs — a.k.a. Mining is ‘Dirty’ (and unethical)
- Myth/Misunderstanding 3: Pollution at the “End of Life” — a.k.a. what happens to battery packs ‘after’ their use in EVs?
We will also cover two important facts:
- Fact 1: The impact of vehicular tailpipe emissions & other pollution on our health & our future generations’ health.
- Fact 2: The State of Indian Renewable Energy capacity & production.
Myth/Misunderstanding 1: The “Long Tailpipe” or the “Well-to-Wheel” emissions
Understanding this myth
When people talk about EVs, they often talk about “well to wheel” emissions or the “long tailpipe” of EVs. What they refer to here, is the pollution caused during the production of electricity that is used to fuel the EVs.
An all-electric vehicle (EV) does not produce emissions from the tailpipe, but there are upstream emissions (also called well-to-wheel emissions) of greenhouse gases from electricity production.
An Electric Vehicle is greener when the electricity used to fuel it is from Renewable sources, rather than Coal or other Thermal sources. A coal-powered battery EV is dirtier than a solar-powered battery EV. Some studies estimate that an electric vehicle produces even 15 times less CO2 when it runs exclusively on green power. Hence, the source of electricity in your EV is what makes your EV even better. Do you know what percent of the electricity in your state comes from coal or from solar? (for the answer, read on below)
A coal-powered battery EV is dirtier than a solar-powered battery EV.
So what do you do if you’re in India & your state has majority thermal electricity? Coal-powered EVs are still better than ICEs! Most studies agree that EVs are still better overall than using ICEs, no matter the source of electricity— considering the reduction in the pollution, soot, particulate matter & GHGs in the usage & lifetime of the vehicles. And the best advantage of EVs is that the more you use it, the more the benefits! Thus making it a fantastic option for fleet operators with a fleet of light-weight EVs.
Indian Scenario
Since Renewable Energy makes EVs significantly better, governments world-over can help by speeding up their transition to greener energy, and India has been making rapid strides in this.
India has been long lambasted for the massive production of Green House Gases, and how its electricity produced majorly through Coal and other fossil fuels. This is true right now (63% from thermal in 2019)— but will not remain true for long. India’s installed renewable capacity has gone up 5x in the last 20 years (22.5GW to 128GW), accounting today for 35% of our electricity capacity. This is combined with a strong push from the Indian Govt. on renewables. (For further reading on this, go to the “Fact 2” section below on Renewable Energy.)
India’s installed renewable capacity has gone up 5x in the last 20 Years, and increased by 5GW just from March to Sept 2019.
Driving an EV is far greener in some parts of India than others. For example, in South India, 48% of capacity is from Renewable Energy. In some Indian States, there is more electricity produced by Renewable sources than any other sources — Karnataka: 63% & Tamil Nadu (TN): 49% are strong Solar & Wind states, and Uttarakhand: 71% & Himachal Pradesh (HP): 94% are strong Hydel states. (Source)
Myth/Misunderstanding 1 — In Summary
Unlocking the green potential of electric cars requires more than just increasing the production of EVs. The entire ecosystem in which they operate must be sustainable too.
Overall, BEVs are both better for the environment (in terms of soot & tail-pipe emissions) & better for the pocket in operational & maintenance costs compared to ICE vehicles. Small EVs, especially 2Ws are already getting close to ICEs even in terms of up-front cost. But, definitely, renewable energy powered EVs are far better. And it looks like the push for green energy in India will help ‘drive’ EVs forward!
Myth/Misunderstanding 2: Pollution beyond carbon emissions
“There’s not enough of it (Cobalt)! Where will people find it! Current suppliers commit human rights abuse!* The price is going to skyrocket! Game over for the EV market — and especially Tesla!” (source: LINK)
Mining
The extraction of the raw materials needed for batteries has been linked to dangerous working conditions, poverty, and other social and environmental concerns. More than half the world’s Cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo — and a lot of this cobalt from ‘artisanal mines’. Battery manufacture now accounts for 60% of the 125,000 tonnes of cobalt mined globally each year. Lithium mining is concentrated in a few areas of the world- with extremely fragile ecosystems (arid salt flats), precarious situations of the indigenous tribes- that is made worse by the intensive water consumption.
However, several of the major cell manufacturers around the world have pledged to reduce the amount of cobalt in their cells, and are encouraging research in other chemistries that do not involve such invasive mining methods. (Read about the Global Battery Alliance)
Alternate Chemistries!
There is also serious research on alternate chemistries- glass(!), lithium-sulphur, zinc-air, sodium, aluminum, and graphene, for example. Alternate chemistries help us reduce dependencies on lithium-ion and even increase the capacities of the energy storage!
Myth/Misunderstanding 2 — In Summary
Yes, the current processes of mining are invasive — especially for the components for Lithium-ion battery cells.
However, cell makers around the world are rising up to the challenge for a more responsible supply chain, reducing the amount of cobalt required in their cells and tackling innovative methods for recovery from used cells.
On the other hand, technology is striding forward. Newer chemistries of Energy Storage not so dependent these rare metals are evolving rapidly. These have the potential for cheaper, safer & potentially much more efficient energy storage in the near future.
Myth/Misunderstanding 3: Pollution at the “End of Life”
Understanding this Myth
Battery production uses a lot of energy, from the extraction of raw materials to the electricity consumed in manufacture. The bigger the electric vehicle and its range, the more battery cells are needed to power it, and consequently the more carbon produced. Around 50% of the battery lifecycle emissions come from the electricity used in battery manufacturing and assembly. These carbon emissions get offset during the use of the vehicle, thus reducing the lifetime emissions over time & kilometers run. Just switching to renewable energy for manufacturing would slash emissions by 65%. (Source)
But how can this be improved further?
Reuse: The negative environmental effects of batteries’ manufacturing are reduced even further as the battery life is extended. Batteries from Electric Vehicles can be repurposed and reused in a different industry, thereby doubling the battery lifecycle to about 20 years. (source)
At the end of their vehicle life, i.e. 7–10 years of driving, the batteries can be repurposed to be used in households, to balance power plants, or to electrify off-grid communities in rural areas, etc. One cannot ignore the cost/effort of repurposing the packs, however, the 10 additional years of use of the same packs will benefit the environment & the economy significantly.
Recycle: Recycling of Lithium-ion batteries is promising but remains expensive currently for lack of scale and slow tech advancements. Technology still needs to develop on simplifying recycling, setting some standards and encouraging the recovery of used lithium battery packs. Research funding like the £246m Faraday Challenge does help.
Myth/Misunderstanding 3— In Summary
There is still a long way to go before cost-effective means of recycling lithium battery packs become common. However, that shouldn’t stop us from using & reusing these packs across industries & platforms! While EVs use battery packs only until 70–80% of their life, they can be used for 10–15 more years at home storage, solar plants, stationary storage/back up, and so many other uses, while we accelerate the tech to recycle them better.
Fact 1: Impact of Vehicular TailPipe Pollution: It is killing us, and it is killing the next generations
Long-term exposure to air pollution is like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day
Air pollution is linked directly with diseases that kill. Life expectancy in India down by 2.6 yrs due to air pollution (Link). Almost one million children die from pneumonia each year, more than half of which are directly related to air pollution. (Link) Millions of children around the world currently breathe air that may put them at risk of premature cognitive decline, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. (Link)
Air pollution can seriously affect the health of the fetus via their pregnant mothers, increasing the risk of early fetal loss, preterm delivery, and lower birth weight. When pregnant women breathe polluted air, sooty particles are able to reach the placenta via the bloodstream. (Link1, Link2, Link3)
Fact 2: The State of Renewables in India- on-time for an energy-hungry, growing economy
As of 2019, India is the world’s 3rd largest Producer & the world’s 3rd largest Consumer of Electricity. We’re an energy-hungry & rapidly growing economy —and as our young country grows, so will our appetite for electricity.
India’s electricity sector has been traditionally dominated by fossil fuels, in particular coal. In the last ~20 years, India’s total installed capacity has grown more than 3x (from 86GW to 363 GW), but our reliance on Thermal Energy has come down from 71% to 63%. India’s installed renewable capacity has gone up 5x in the same period (22.5GW to 128GW). (Source)
The Sun is shining bright!
India is at the cusp of a solar revolution. The government has already set an ambitious target to achieve 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2022. India expanded its solar-generation capacity from 2.6 GW in 2014 to 31.1 GW as of Sep.2019. Karnataka tops the list of states with the highest installed solar power generation capacity in the country. The state’s total solar capacity at the end of 2018 stood at 5,328 megawatts (MW) and jumped to 6444 MW in 2019! (Source1, Source2). Rajasthan (4.2GW), Telangana (3.6GW) & Andhra Pradesh (3.3 GW) are the next 3 states that follow on the list.
53.4% of power capacity in Karnataka comes from Renewable Energy (not including Hydel)!
And the Wind blows powerfully too!
India has the fourth-largest wind power installed capacity in the world. In India, Solar & Wind are complementary to each other. Most of our Wind power is produced during the Monsoon season (May/June to Sept/Oct), while Solar power peaks in non-monsoon months in the daytime. Tamil Nadu, with 9.23GW of installed capacity, tops the country in Windpower. Gujarat (7GW), Maharashtra (4.8GW), and Karnataka (4.7GW) are the next 3 states in installed capacity.
India has the fourth-largest wind power installed capacity in the world.
Orxa Energies’ mission is to rapidly electrify all transport. We build performance Electric Vehicles & the associated Energy Ecosystem. We believe that battery swap will rapidly electrify shared & fleet mobility.
Our first vehicle is the Mantis — a fully-electric performance motorcycle, designed to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle.
We also build powerful Battery Packs that manage the specific challenges of performance vehicles — longevity, thermals, weight, and volume. Our battery packs are already in pilots with our customers.
We previously wrote about the issues faced by hardware startups in a software-obsessed startup ecosystem (link), and about our survival guide for other hardware startups getting into this space (link)
