How often have you found yourself in a casual conversation about electric cars that quickly escalates into a heated debate, with arguments flying back and forth, leaving everyone confused about what’s true? We get it – discussions about EVs and their environmental impact can be polarizing and complex.

That’s why we’ve decided to lay out all the facts, helping you understand how EVs truly affect our environment. 

Why electric cars? 

Let’s remind ourselves why we are shifting from gas cars and coal power plants to EVs and renewable energy. Why are we moving away from burning fossil fuels for transportation and energy? 

• Cutting greenhouse gasses: Today, transportation is a major contributor to climate change, accounting for about 28% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. EVs can help reduce these emissions, especially when charged with renewable energy, though it’s essential to consider their entire lifecycle, including production and disposal. We’ll talk about that in detail later.
• Cleaner air: In many cities around the world, air pollution from vehicle emissions is a serious health issue. But, just take a look at places like Oslo or other cities where the adoption of EVs has already led to noticeably cleaner air. While EVs are not the only solution to air pollution, they certainly have the potential to make a big difference.
• Better efficiency: Energy efficiency means getting the most out of the energy we use, reducing waste, and conserving resources. So we need to look at how energy efficient all forms of transportation are – from cradle to grave. Gas cars are notoriously inefficient and waste about 70% of their energy, while EVs are much more efficient, converting 80-90% of grid energy into power for the wheels.

Common EV environmental debates

Okay, so far so good. We’ve set a common ground for discussing EVs and their environmental impact. Now here are the most common arguments that come up in heated discussions about EVs. We will debunk them step by step later in this article.  

1. Energy source for charging: “EVs aren’t green if they’re charged with coal.” 
2. Resource extraction: “We need a lot of materials for batteries. Where do they come from?”
3. Battery disposal: “What happens to all these dead batteries? Do we landfill them?”

EVs vs. Gas Cars – CO2 emissions

As a starting point to tackle the three most common environmental debates just mentioned, let’s look at emissions. It’s crucial to consider the entire lifecycle of a vehicle, from production to disposal. This comprehensive view, known as life cycle analysis, gives us a more accurate picture of a vehicle’s environmental impact.

To compare one car to another, we’re using a graph taken from carboncounter.com, which compares the lifecycle emissions and costs for different car types in the US. This analysis assumes a 7-year ownership and 13,000 miles driven per year.

The graph shows greenhouse gas emissions compared to monthly costs (including the vehicle, fuel, and maintenance) for gas cars (black and gray dots), hybrids and plug-in hybrids (red), battery electric cars (yellow), and fuel cell EVs (blue). Gas cars generally have the highest emissions over their lifetime, while EVs show the lowest emissions.

It’s interesting to see that with today’s average US electricity grid, almost every BEV meets the 2030 emission target, and some even hit the 2040 targets. However, the actual benefits depend on your specific situation, including the energy source used for charging.

Now let’s go through the concerns one by one:

Concern 1: The environmental impact of charging EVs 

When it comes to the environmental impact of EVs, the source of electricity used for charging plays a crucial role. This often depends on your personal situation, such as where you live and how green your local electricity grid is. Factors like having your own solar panels also make a big difference.

The previous graph showed the emissions for an average American electricity grid. Now, let’s look at two extreme scenarios for charging:

• Charging with 100% coal power: When EVs are charged entirely from coal power, the emissions over their lifetime are much closer to those of gas-powered cars. However, it’s important to note that coal power is no longer the dominant source of electricity in the U.S., accounting for about 16% of the electricity mix in 2023, and its share continues to decrease as renewable energy sources grow.

• Charging with 100% low-carbon sources: On the other hand, when EVs are charged with 100% low-carbon electricity, like from solar or wind, they significantly outperform gas cars in terms of emissions. Many EVs in this scenario even meet the ambitious 2050 emissions targets today!

These scenarios highlight how important the electricity source is for the environmental benefits of EVs. The cleaner the energy, the greater the benefits. In the future, renewable energy will play a bigger role in powering EVs. By 2040, solar energy is expected to be a major power source for EVs, further cutting their environmental impact. As more people use solar panels and other renewable energy sources, the emissions from charging EVs will keep going down.

Concern 2: Resource extraction & mining

Another common argument against EVs concerns the extraction of materials, like lithium and cobalt, needed for their batteries. 

It’s true that mining these materials can have significant environmental impacts and sometimes involves questionable labor practices . However, the industry is actively working to address these concerns.

• Transparency: By, first of all, being more transparent. A “battery passport” is on its way.  This digital record would provide information about a battery’s origin, composition, and environmental impact, allowing consumers and regulators to trace the battery’s journey from raw materials to recycling. 
• Building up a local supply chain: It might surprise you, but we actually have significant lithium reserves in the US and we are actively working to build up a domestic supply chain of many materials needed for making batteries. Mining materials locally means more transparency as well as control over battery production. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $6 billion to develop a domestic battery supply chain and recycling programs. 
• Recycling: One of the most promising solutions is battery recycling. The EU is taking a leading role here with new regulations that are set to be game-changers. By 2030, new EV batteries will be required to contain at least 6% recycled lithium and nickel, and 16% recycled cobalt. Recycling will dramatically reduce the need for raw material mining and will help create a local circular economy for EV batteries. 

Looking ahead, these regulations, the push for recycling, and increased transparency are expected to make EVs even more environmentally friendly. While mining will still be necessary to meet growing demand, the reliance on newly mined materials should decrease over time. 

Concern 3: Battery disposal & end of life 

The third major environmental concern we want to discuss in this article is what happens to EV batteries when they reach the end of their life. The good news is that EV batteries don’t go to landfills, they are way too valuable! 

The industry is focusing on two main options: repurposing and recycling. EV batteries usually last around 8 to 15 years before their capacity drops to about 70-80%. At that point, they might not be great for driving anymore, but they can still be super useful.

• Repurposing used EV batteries: Old EV batteries can be repurposed for less demanding applications such as stationary energy storage systems in homes and businesses. This can extend their life to as much as 40 years! For example, Nissan is repurposing used Leaf batteries for renewable energy storage at their facilities, and the startup Moment Energy is creating energy storage solutions using repurposed EV batteries.
• Advances in battery recycling: When batteries can’t be reused or repurposed, they get recycled. Modern recycling methods recover valuable materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel from old batteries to make new ones. Key players like Redwood Materials and Li-Cycle are leading the way in this rapidly growing market. By 2030, the US recycling industry is expected to process about 1.3 million end-of-life EV batteries each year, reducing the need for new raw materials and supporting a circular economy. leading the way in recovering valuable materials from used EV batteries.

How all this matters to you as an EV driver 

Understanding the environmental impact of electric cars is complex, and it’s important to consider the entire lifecycle from production to disposal. This also applies to any other alternative form of transportation. 

Here’s the bottom line: Even with today’s average American electricity grid, electric cars are cleaner than gasoline-powered cars. Plus, you can make your electric car even greener by charging it with renewable energy, like from your own solar panels. Sustainable sourcing of raw materials, repurposing batteries, and effective recycling are possible and crucial to minimizing the footprint of electric cars. Looking ahead, the industry is moving towards more sustainable and transparent practices. Future electric car batteries will contain more recycled materials, and you’ll have information about the origins and environmental impact of your battery, contributing to a true circular economy.