Last Name 1

Student Name

Professor Name

ENGL 102

10/22/19

Electric Vehicles: Are They Really the Savior People Hope for?

In today’s transportation discussion, one would be hard pressed to find news that does not pertain

to some form of electric vehicles. Undoubtedly, electric vehicles are more environmentally

friendly as far as emissions are concerned, but some eyebrows are being raised at how electric

vehicles and their necessary components are being made. Lithium Ion, or LI, batteries are what

power almost all electric vehicles on the road. Creating these batteries requires rare earth metals

like lithium and cobalt, which are extremely costly and damaging to the Earth to harvest. This

prompts the question: Are electric vehicles truly better for the environment? This is a question

that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, but with a much more in-depth look. In the

simplest terms, electric vehicles are costly to make, but much better for the environment in the

long run. When factoring in an electric vehicle’s impact on the environment, there are many

points that need to be covered. Emissions, production, labor, recycling, and longevity are all

important factors that, together, determine a vehicle’s environmental impact.

The exigence bringing this topic to light is the ongoing environmental concern and

damage caused by emissions from vehicles around the world. Standard gasoline powered

vehicles emit a plethora of harmful gasses and chemicals into the environment, to the point

where heavily populated cities, like Beijing and Los Angeles, must send out air quality and smog
 Last Name 2

warnings. A look into electric vehicles to help solve these problems is necessary and brings in a

variety of topics involved. Writer Naida Krieger brings up a great point in her article, “Will Your

Electric Car Save the World or Wreck It”, “An immediate concern for some manufacturers may

be supply chain bottlenecks, it is worth taking a glimpse at the far future. In truth, no one really

knows if there is enough lithium for humanity’s projected needs or where lithium can come

from. This is an ironic twist for those who thought that the electric car was the solution to our

non-renewable fuel crisis, instead of another sustainability trap” (Krieger). Sustainability,

especially with a rising demand, is another aspect that cannot be overlooked. With these factors

presented, it is important to examine each in depth to truly weight out their consequences.

In a short periodical written by Karen Martin, “Why Electric Cars are Becoming More

Popular”, she outlines some big points in the debate on electric vehicles. She states that electric

vehicles have been in production for decades, though with low gas and oil prices, they were often

overlooked. Martin helps open the door to the EV discussion by providing a basis for their rise in

popularity and allowing room for questions, mentioning that most previous hurdles of electric

vehicles have been surpassed, like battery size, which is covered in depth by Fuad Un-Noor’s

academic piece, “A Comprehensive Study of Key Electric Vehicle (EV) Components,

Technologies, Challenges, Impacts, and Future Direction of Development”. Un-Noor starts the

article with a brief introduction to electric vehicles and talks about their use in motorsports. Fully

electric and hybrid engines have high and consistent torque outputs, which are extremely

desirable in competitive motorsports. Historically, EVs were popular before oil and standard

combustion engines became affordable and popular, with very obsolete and inefficient batteries

being their power source. According to the article, after the initial die out of EVs, “A chance of

resurrection appeared in the form of the EV1 concept from General Motors, which was launched
 Last Name 3

in 1996, and quickly became very popular. Other leading carmakers, including Ford, Toyota, and

Honda brought out their own EVs as well. Toyota’s highly successful Prius, the first commercial

hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), was launched in Japan in 1997, with 18,000 units sold in the first

year of production [1]. Today, almost none of those twentieth century EVs exist; an exception

can be Toyota Prius, still going strong in a better and evolved form.” (Un-Noor). As known to

most people, the Toyota Prius is still a popular choice for those looking for a hybrid vehicle. This

opens the debate to why people actually chose these vehicles, and the obvious answer is the low

cost of gasoline. Until recently, the environment wasn’t a huge concern, and people were

infatuated with the idea of saving money on gasoline. For the sake of this discussion, electric

vehicles will be classified as any vehicle that solely runs on electricity, provided by a lithium ion

battery. With a general understanding of what exactly electric vehicles are, looking at their

production opens the door to environmental concerns.

The question of how producing electric vehicles affects the environment can be hard to

answer. Virtually undebatable, lithium ion batteries are the most impactful part of an electric

vehicle to produce. In Krieger’s previously referenced article, extracting lithium and cobalt is

extremely harmful to the ecosystems these metals reside in. Lithium is found in the soil of many

South American countries, especially prominent in the Andes Mountain regions, like Chile. The

lithium has to be extracted from the Earth, then filtered from the soil it is in. To harvest one ton

of lithium, 500,000 gallons of salty water-based brine is needed, which is equivalent to 65% of

Chile’s water supply. The 65% of water needed is taken away from Chile’s food production and

drinkable water, and often takes twelve to eighteen months to fully evaporate and return to

Chile’s water table. This lithium harvesting is extremely hard on the environments it occurs in,

but many companies are looking to eliminate or replace the lithium in their batteries.
 Last Name 4

Cobalt is another precious metal found inside lithium ion batteries. The largest exporter

of Cobalt in the world is the Democratic Republic of Congo. The issue here not only lies in

environmental destruction, but also the exploitation of human capital. Cobalt is found deep under

the surface in mines, where other intensive radioactive elements, like uranium, are present. The

workers, as well as ground water, are exposed to the radioactivity from the mines. A study

conducted by KU Leuven and the University of Lubumashi has strongly indicated that the

miners, and the environment are impacted by the dust from the mines.

“The researchers conducted a case study in Kasulo, an urban neighborhood in Kolwezi,

in the heart of the Congolese mining area. When cobalt ore was discovered under one of

the houses there, the entire area quickly became an artisanal mine. The houses are now

interspersed with dozens of mine pits where hundreds of creuseurs hunt for cobalt. Most

residents remained in the area.” – (Leuven, KU. “Hidden Costs of Cobalt Mining in DR

Congo”).

As stated by Leuvan, an entire village was engulfed by mines, with nowhere for the villagers to

go, resulting in constant exposure to the dust from the mines. The dust from these mines is rich

in cobalt and uranium, which forms an unhealthy, radioactive substance. Urine samples from

children in Kasulo were taken and compared to a control group from a close town, showing the

elevated levels of cobalt in the children from Kasulo. The effects of cobalt are unclear in the long

term, as it is not as toxic as metals like lead, but there are genetic effects present. Children living

near the mines are experiencing DNA damage. This is undoubtedly harmful to the environment

and the people harvesting it, but electric vehicle manufacturers, like Tesla, are actively seeking

more sustainable practices for acquiring cobalt, or replacing its use altogether in their lithium ion

batteries.
 Last Name 5

While harvesting cobalt is a hazard now, it is a practice that may be completely gone in

the future of electric vehicles. According to Jason Deign’s writing, “How the Battery Sector is

Looking to Improve Lithium-Ion”, the days of rare earth metals like lithium and cobalt are near

and end. According to the author, various electric vehicle manufacturers have already moved

away from using cobalt in their batteries, finding suitable substitutes. Companies like tesla have

been reducing their cobalt usage and finding ways to recycle and reuse cobalt from their already

existing batteries. Essentially, the lessening of cobalt and lithium usage has already occurred

much faster than many experts anticipating, showing extreme promise for the future of electric

vehicles.

While creating lithium ion batteries with these rare earth metals is costly, it is important

to look at the recycling and reuse possibilities. Constantly harvesting costly earth metals to create

batteries for electric vehicles is not sustainable, there is no question about that. But after a certain

production point, there may be no need to harvest these metals, as old batteries can be recycled.

Lithium Ion battery recycling is in its beginning stages, but future developments are looking

hopeful. According to a study conducted by the ACTA Technica Corviniensis – Bulletin of

Engineering, a well-respected European engineering board, the parts of an electric vehicle go

through many stages of recycling. Purification to remove toxic parts of the battery, dismantling

to separate rare metals and components, cutting and grinding to remove scrap pieces, and sorting

to separate salvageable parts. One of the most important parts of Lithium Ion batteries are their

magnets, which are made from the previously discussed earth metals. These magnets are

currently difficult to recycle and reuse, but companies are working on easier and more efficient

designs, which would allow for easier dismantlement and reuse of magnets and precious metals.

According to Andrea Aurora Racza’s “A Look into Electric/Hyrbid Cars from an Ecological
 Last Name 6

Persspective”, Tesla, the current leading EV manufacturer, has actually formulated an engine

without some rare earth metals like cobalt. This is a massive step for EVs and their lithium ion

batteries. In her article, she states “The first step in developing well-defined end of life strategies

for batteries is the necessity to know their composition in order to choose the correct recycling

process. By recycling them, 30% of the energy can be recovered.” (Aurora Racza). This gives a

tally to EV’s, as not only can components be recovered, but energy from the actual production of

the battery can be recovered, resulting in less loss. When compared to the afterlife of a standard

gasoline or diesel vehicle, many components of an electric vehicle are reusable. There are no

components of standard vehicles that can be reused in a newly manufactured one, therefor they

are often left to rot in landfills and junkyards.

The longevity and ease of maintenance is a topic that was mentioned earlier, is also

nearly eliminated, like emissions. Conventional gasoline and diesel engines have lots of moving,

mechanical parts that require lubrication. Conventional oil comes in here, lubricating parts so

they move and run efficiently. Less moving parts translates to less, or no oil in EVs. Gasoline is

a byproduct of conventional oil, so without using either, the need for oil-based products can be

completely eliminated. This leads to a collateral change in the need for oil, resulting in less being

harvested, and less impact on the environment henceforth. According to Notter, Gauch, Marcel,

Rolf, Wager, Stamp, Zah, and Althaus’s 2010 academic writing, “Contribution of Li-Ion

Batteries to the Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles”, the use and maintenance of electric

vehicles is extremely light on the environment. Often, the only part that required regular

replacement on EV’s is their tires. If an electrical part or motor need replaced, most companies

(i.e. Tesla) often handle all costs associated with the replacement and maintenance. In simple

terms, no oil or gasoline equates to less maintenance, and a cleaner vehicle in the long run.
 Last Name 7

With some of the environmental impacts and effects of producing EVs, it is important to

look at their most appealing environmental aspect, emissions. In an article written by

environmental entrepreneur James Ellsmoor “Are Electric Vehicles Really Better for the

Environment”, he states that “In its study, the ICTT also notes the stark difference in emissions

between electric and internal combustion over the course of their lifetimes. With no combustion

and complete lack of tailpipe emissions, EVs produce the bulk of their emissions through their

manufacturing process and the sourcing of their energy, giving them an advantage over petrol

and diesel-powered cars.” As we’ve discussed manufacturing, looking at actual vehicular

emissions is our focus. Since EV’s have no gasoline and no combustion, day to day operation

leads to very, very little emissions. Ellsmoor also includes a chart from the Carbon Brief, listed

below.

Looking at a comparison of the Nissan Leaf to a conventional gasoline vehicle, and a hybrid

Toyota Prius, it is unarguable that electric vehicles have fewer, if no, tailpipe emissions. While
 Last Name 8

they do have battery emissions, they are substantially smaller and less harmful than traditional

tail pipe emissions. This chart does a great job of visualizing the difference in emissions between

vehicle types. When looking at emissions, location also needs to be considered, and this

discussed by Holland, Masnur, and Yates in their academic writing from the American

Economic Review, “Are There Environmental Benefits from Driving Electric Vehicles? The

Importance of Local Factors.” The authors focus on how EVs impact the environment, based on

where they are driven. Places like California have significant damage from emissions from

gasoline vehicles. While damaged, they have a large, strong power grid that is capable of

handling a large number of electric vehicles. With an area like North Dakota, the benefits might

not be as visible, as the power grids would need to be upgraded. Starting with cities seems to be

the best option for EVs and is an easy option to cut down on emissions. As a transition is made,

more rural area could focus on improving power grids in slow steps, allowing for a smoother

transition to EVs. The authors conclude that when looking directly at greenhouse gas emissions,

an electric vehicle is always the best choice, hands down.

After the presentation of undeniable data, the debate of electric vehicles comes down to

where you want your environmental impact. There is no way to eliminate tail pipe emissions

from gasoline vehicles, where they are most harmful. Looking at electric vehicles, the future is

hopeful to eliminate production impacts, where electric vehicles are most harmful. To reexamine

my thesis, the points covered when comparing electric vehicles to standard gasoline vehicles are

emissions, production, labor, recycling, and longevity. Emissions are undoubtedly the biggest

concern as far as vehicles in the future are concerned, with it being a main source of

environmental and atmospheric pollution. As proven numerous studies, electric vehicles emit

exponentially less pollution than gasoline powered vehicles in the span of their life. Looking at
 Last Name 9

production, standard gasoline vehicles do take the trophy for impact. They are easier and less

impactful to create, when looking at components of electric vehicles like lithium ion batteries.

The wrench thrown into this argument comes in when examining the future. Most standard

gasoline vehicles have reached their peak of research and development, while electric vehicles

are still young. Between continually improving recycling techniques, and hopeful developments

to eliminate the use of rare earth metals in batteries, EVs have a bright, less impactful future.

Labor and recycling can almost be grouped into the same category as production, with their need

being temporary. Longevity, last but certainly not least, is another extremely critical factor. With

gasoline powered vehicles, there are exponentially more moving parts involved. Without regular

oil changes and maintenance, these vehicles become undrivable quickly, resulting in thousands

of dollars in repairs to get them functioning again. Electric vehicles operate blissfully, without

any of these woes. No oil, fewer moving parts, and lack of required maintenance allows for

electric vehicles to last much, much longer. After hours of research and study, it’s important to

examine the question that sparks this debate: Are electric vehicles truly better for the

environment? When it comes down to choosing an answer, the choice depends on one’s faith in

science. Gasoline vehicles have hit their peak with environmental friendliness, while electric

vehicles are steadily improving. Emissions give a tally to EVs, while production is, temporarily,

a tally for gasoline vehicles. As shown by multiple studies, many EV makers are improving

designs, and cutting out needs for rare, harmful earth metals. Electric vehicles, undoubtedly, are

the best answer for long term environmental protection.

 Last Name 10

Works Cited

Aurora Racza, Andrea. “A Look into Electric/Hybrid Cars from an Ecological

Perspective.” Procedia Technology, Elsevier, 3 Apr. 2015,

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212017315000638.

BUKVIĆ, Milan, et al. “Recycling of the Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.” Acta Technica

Corvininesis - Bulletin of Engineering, vol. 10 , no. 3, July 2017, pp. 107–

114. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=124880172&site=ehost-live.

Deign, Jason. “How the Battery Sector Is Looking to Improve Lithium-Ion.” Greentech Media,

Greentech Media, 17 Oct. 2019, https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/how-the-

battery-sector-is-looking-to-improve-lithium-ion.

Ellsmoor, James. “Are Electric Vehicles Really Better For The Environment?” Forbes, Forbes

Magazine, 21 May 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/05/20/are-

electric-vehicles-really-better-for-the-environment/#7b8a2a9076d2.

Holland, Stephen P., et al. “Are There Environmental Benefits from Driving Electric Vehicles?

The Importance of Local Factors†.” American Economic Review, vol. 106, no. 12, Dec.

2016, pp. 3700–3729. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1257/aer.20150897.

Krieger, Nadia. “Will Your Electric Car Save the World or Wreck It?” Engineering.com, 17

Aug. 2018,

https://www.engineering.com/ElectronicsDesign/ElectronicsDesignArticles/ArticleID/174

35/Will-Your-Electric-Car-Save-the-World-or-Wreck-It.aspx.
 Last Name 11

Leuven, KU. “Hidden Costs of Cobalt Mining in DR Congo.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 20

Sept. 2018, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180920102107.htm.

Martin, Karen. “Why Electric Cars Are Becoming More Popular.” All About Electric Cars and

Solar Energy, 3 May 2016, www.ebig.org/electric-cars-becoming-popular/.

Notter, Dominic & Gauch, Marcel & Widmer, Rolf & Wäger, Patrick & Stamp, Anna & Zah,

Rainer & Althaus, Hans-Jörg. (2010). Contribution of Li-Ion Batteries to the

Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles. Environmental science & technology. 44.

10.1021/es1029156.

Un-Noor, Fuad, et al. “A Comprehensive Study of Key Electric Vehicle (EV) Components,

Technologies, Challenges, Impacts, and Future Direction of Development.” Energies

(19961073), vol. 10, no. 8, Aug. 2017, p. 1217. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3390/en10081217.