Essay

Currently, the transportation industry utilizes gas and electric as its primary sources of power. However, neither gas nor electric is reducing emissions. In different ways, both gasoline-powered vehicles and electric vehicles emit greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are gases that absorb infrared radiation and heat up the planet. Not only is the vehicle emission causing damage, but the retrieval and recycling of the materials used in the electric-powered vehicle’s battery is causing harm as well. Over the past few years, electric cars have become extremely popular due to the public’s view that they are a solution to poor air quality. Many experts have argued that hybrids are the better choice; however, studies show that electric cars are not better than gasoline-powered cars in certain states due to the source of power generation and materials used within the battery. We, therefore, must implement a carbon tax to encourage innovation across the industry, as well as consider carbon sequestration as a short-term solution.

Since the 1880s, gasoline-powered vehicles have been the primary mode of transportation. Today with the growing issue of climate change, electric-powered vehicles have persuaded customers to bear a greater cost in return for a potential solution to the poor air quality. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, United States electric car sales were at seventy-six thousand units in 2015. In addition, by 2025, car sales are predicted to be at 481 thousand units (Ronald Berger). In turn, the fast-growing industry has left experts to question the true effectiveness of the electric vehicle. Before the public views electric cars as a solution to climate change, it’s essential to reevaluate the auto industry. Below, the industry will be evaluated through how gas-powered vehicles work, the history of electric vehicles, how electric-vehicles work, their power source, the extraction and recycling of the materials used in the battery, and finally if they are a useful consumer choice.

Gas-powered vehicles emit pollutants, also known as greenhouse gases. The greenhouse gases, which are composed of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides are released into the atmosphere when gasoline is burned. Once in the atmosphere, these greenhouse gases trap in the infrared rays that bounce off the earth. The carbon dioxide absorbs some of the heat and lets the rest reflect back on earth. Due to this phenomenon, air temperatures have already risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius leading to detrimental effects on insects, plant life, humans and more (“Observed”). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released a report earlier this month stating “that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid and far-reaching transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050” (IPCC Sixth Assessment Report). This means that emissions must be cut faster than anticipated to avoid some of the most feared events like flooding and detrimental hurricanes.

The need for a solution to climate change has arisen quickly with sea ice, sea level rise, and more already happening. With electric cars as a potential solution, companies such as Nissan Motors, Tesla Motors, Honda Motors Co., and Toyota motors began leading innovation within this sector. What is so unique about electric cars is their elimination of gasoline as the vehicles power-source. This is done through storing electricity in a battery which powers an electric motor and then turns the wheels. The electricity is generated through a charging unit which acquires power in the same way one’s house is powered. When driven, these vehicles do not produce any tailpipe emissions. Although, emissions are produced elsewhere in electric vehicles, including while charging the car or retrieving materials for the battery.

However, the absence of gasoline does not make the electric car completely environmentally friendly. Electric cars produce emissions elsewhere, starting with the charging unit. Power sources for the charging unit include coal, natural gas, petroleum liquids, hydrogen, solar, and nuclear. Specific power sources are better than others, but coal has the most negative implications on the environment. When coal is burned, it produces carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases, similar to what’s produced when gasoline is burned. Natural gas and petroleum burn more cleanly than coal, but they still produce residual carbon dioxide. In addition, the extraction processes of natural gas and petroleum add emissions to the atmosphere as well as destroy the land. Conversely, hydrogen is significantly cleaner as it uses the splitting of the hydrogen bond or electric current to create energy. However, hydrogen can still lead to some carbon dioxide emissions and a loss of fish and human habit. Solar energy uses photovoltaic cells and the sun’s photons to provide power, but the manufacturing and disposal processes of solar can negatively affect the environment. Nuclear power is relatively clean as it uses the splitting of uranium atoms to generate heat and therefore electricity; however, if something goes wrong in the process a nuclear meltdown could occur.

As stated, there are advantages and disadvantages to each power source. According to The Washington Post, as of 2016 natural gas is the most commonly used power source leaving coal as the second most used (John Muyskens). This means that electric cars are becoming cleaner as their power sources become cleaner; however, many states still rely on coal as their primary power source. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the majority of the Midwest still relies on coal as their primary source of power (“Energy”). Other than the Midwest though, states tend to utilize relatively clean power sources. Furthermore, electric cars powered in the Midwest have more adverse effects on the environment than electric cars powered elsewhere. Natural gas, petroleum liquids, hydrogen, solar, and nuclear power sources are clearly better in terms of climate change than gasoline is. When looking at the life cycle (environmental implications from extraction through disposal) of coal, a study done by researchers at Stanford University showed that coal produces a total of 96 grams of carbon dioxide emissions per millijoule (g CO2e/MJ). In comparison, the life cycle of gasoline produces a total of 89 g CO2e/MJ. Thus, proving that vehicles powered in states that use coal as their primary source of electricity are worse than gasoline-powered vehicles (Aranya Venkatesh).

In addition to its power source, the battery in the electric car has negative implications on the environment. The World Economic Forum claims that in comparison to a gasoline-powered vehicle, producing an electric vehicle contributes about two times as much to global warming potential as well as uses two times the amount of energy, mainly because of its battery (John Eckart). Lithium-ion batteries are considered to be the standard battery in electric vehicles because of its high energy per unit mass. Lithium-ion batteries are made up of 50% nickel and 5-20% cobalt and lithium (John Eckart). These metals can have severe impacts on the planet, starting with their extraction. With extraction, the physical land is left demolished after the mine is closed, metals are often absorbed by plants and animals, metals frequently leach into groundwater, and emissions are released into the atmosphere. The emissions released include sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, which accelerate climate change and can have detrimental effects on human health.

After the metals are extracted, a ton of energy is consumed through the manufacturing and transportation of the battery. Then, while being recycled, these batteries have the potential to release toxic chemicals into the environment or cause dangerous fires.

With the increased price of electric-vehicles, the debate surrounding if electric cars a useful consumer choice arises. In the short-term, most would say it is not because the buyer pays the higher price up front. However, in the long-term, consumers are definitely saving money by not having to purchase gas and not having to pay for as much maintenance. The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy found that charging your EV at home costs on average $1.16 a gallon, while gasoline costs about $2.61 per gallon as of February of 2018 (“Observed”). In addition, The University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute found that the average cost per year of driving an electric vehicle is 2.3 times ($485 versus $1,117) less than driving a gasoline-powered vehicle (Michael Sivak). So, due to the lowered cost of charging, increased mileage per gallon, and the decreased amount of maintenance required for electric vehicles, electric vehicle owners are paying less money over time.

In addition, tax breaks and government subsidies are available to electric car consumers. Therefore, although it costs about $15,000 more to buy an electric vehicle up front, through tax breaks and the power source consumers end up saving money. Of course, much of this is dependent on how much one chooses to drive their vehicle and which electric car one chooses to purchase, but in the long run, as more electric cars enter the market, prices will drop and in return become even more cost beneficial.

In terms of safety, electric cars are superior. Since an electric car’s battery pack is on the bottom instead of in the front, the weight does not come at you during a car accident. Tesla’s 2018 Model 3 was just awarded five stars for safety by the United States Department of Transportation (“2018”), further proving how safe Teslas truly are. However, regardless of a consumer’s lack of ability to travel far, the consumer benefits of owning an electric car outweigh its negatives.

Electric car supporters argue that charging a vehicle at home is extremely practical because it saves drivers from having to go to the gas station. Nevertheless, since electric cars are not very common yet, if a driver happens to run out of battery it can be difficult to find a charging station. This limits electric car owners to short road trips until charging stations become more common. In addition, many supporters believe that gas is better for the environment than coal is. However, as previously stated, the life cycle of coal is 96 g CO2e/MJ, while the life cycle of gasoline is 89g CO2e/MJ (Aranya Venkatesh). As a result, gasoline impacts climate change more than coal does.

Overall, despite electric cars being a huge advancement towards reducing emissions, there are still ways to improve the cleanliness of vehicles. One potential improvement is to use renewable energy such as solar instead of coal to power electricity. However, this is not as easy as it seems because the auto industry is a business, so they rely on the cheapest source of power. In order to create this change, the government can implement carbon taxes (dues on the use of fossil fuels) to encourage innovation. Once implemented, power companies will be more motivated to take advantage of the 166,168 GW of renewable power the US has access to according to the U.S Energy Information Administration (“Energy”). Fortunately, effective uses of these sources have been known for several years, so a carbon tax would prompt companies to take advantage of these technologies. However, since the Trump Administration, as well as other countries leaders such as Brazil and Russia, are promoting the use of coal, much of the initiative to innovate is lost.

With leaders like President Trump and the Earth heating up faster than expected, it’s essential that short-term solutions are implemented as well. One short-term solution is increasing the prevalence of public transportation. Public transportation allows individuals to emit less pollution overall. Carbon sequestration could also be beneficial for reducing emissions. Carbon sequestration uses trees and plants to offset the emissions. Though helpful, forests cannot offset our emissions alone so long-term solutions are essential, and essential immediately.

While there are many advantages of electric-powered cars to the environment and consumers, disadvantages arise when looking closely at the fast-growing industry. Due to the source of power generation and materials within the battery, these vehicles are not doing enough to help the environment. Their benefits vary based on the primary power source, so the spread of renewable energy sources would make electric cars even cleaner. A carbon tax could be a first step towards encouraging the use of alternate power sources; however, in the short-term, a key solution is to mitigate the effects using carbon sequestration. So, before climate change accelerates further, the auto industry must discover a cleaner mode of transportation because electric cars as they are today just aren’t the answer.

 

(The photograph used is my own)