In this century, fossil fuel will run out.
The world is in search for a feasible alternative, particularly for the vehicles that we use in our daily lives. For years now, electric vehicles have been at the centre of all discussions, with many motor companies shifting their focus towards an all-electric car fleet in the next few decades. However, are electric cars the real solution?
Let’s look at the pros. Despite the multitude of challenges that electric car manufactures are currently facing, studies have shown that by 2030, electric vehicles will outperform traditional cars in a wide range of key aspects. For instance, it is predicted that such vehicles will possess a range of over 1000 km compared to 482 km for traditional vehicles, meaning less time spent “re-fuelling”. In addition, battery vehicles are less complex in terms of components, in fact, vehicles with combustion engines require more than 1,500 parts, whereas an electric vehicle only requires 20 parts, meaning increased reliability and decreased chances of repairs. The list in long. Hence, many car manufactures have halted their plans for new combustion engines and focused on battery driven vehicles. For example, the likes of Jaguar, Volvo, VW, and General Motors have established a plan to solely sell electric vehicles in 5 to 10 years’ time. Thus, one might assume that the future will definitely encompass electric vehicles.
Now, however, let’s look at the cons. Scientist have also shown how electric cars, despite their benefits, are not as perfect as some people may perceive them to be. For instance, electric vehicles, whilst not polluting when being used on the road, produce the same amount of CO2 emissions as traditional vehicles during the manufacturing stage. Furthermore, the generation of lithium batteries, which are used in electric cars, releases fossil fuels. The batteries also pose a subsequent threat, as their disposal further increases the pollution levels due to the fact that they are not being recycled. To put this into perspective, in the EU, only 5% of simple lithium-ion batteries which are used in everyday objects are being collected, the remaining 95% is either left in landfills or incinerated. Lastly, at this moment in time, electric vehicles face several other concerns: expensive batteries leading to higher selling prices, chip shortages, and lack of charging stations.
Thus, despite the well-known benefits of electric cars, there are still several issues which are a cause for concern, which can make some people wonder whether they are truly the future and right step forward towards a more sustainable environment. Nonetheless, looking at the counterarguments, there may be solutions to tackle some of the problems, where some might be easier than others. For instance, the reduction of CO2 emission created by the manufacturing process could be aided by the use of renewable energy within the plants, which is however no easy task. Another example could be to lease car batteries rather than purchasing them with the car, making the vehicles more affordable.
All in all, I believe that electric cars could be the right step forward towards a greener future, however, all the potential pitfalls need to be addressed before we see a significant improvement. It must not be forgotten that other technologies could potentially disrupt the elective vehicle industry, such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Hence, it might be that battery drive vehicles are only a steppingstone towards a more sustainable and efficient solution, but only time will tell.
References
- https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57253947
- https://blog.wallbox.com/how-do-evs-compare-to-gas-cars/#:~:text=For%20instance%2C%20while%20an%20average,miles)%20on%20a%20single%20charge.
- https://drivetribe.com/p/why-electric-cars-are-not-the-future-DHdQRTOvTUOgzRK6xBCkZg?iid=K9AguXGRS-a4K9Fa6klPTg
- https://www.futuremanagementgroup.com/en/electric-cars-really-the-future/#
- https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/technology/electric-cars-batteries.html
- https://theboar.org/2021/05/are-electric-cars-really-way-towards-greener-future/
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/electric-cars-batteries-fossil-fuel/
Hi Marco, and thank you for your comprehensive overview of the key arguments underlying the current debate on the transition towards e-vehicles! Indeed, questions still exist over the benefits and feasibility of this change, but I strongly believe electrification is the key towards significantly reducing CO2 emissions within the transportation industry and there are reasons to be optimistic. As your article very well shows, a concentrated effort from all stakeholders is needed to achieve this, and this seems more and more to be achievable. First, supra-national organizations (such as the EU) and governments are pushing together the energy production sector towards renewable sources, with ambitious targets for 2030, thus mitigating the potential carbon footprint generated in the vehicles’ manufacturing process. Moreover, governments are starting to offer consumers significant subsidies for the acquisition of new electrical vehicles – for example, in Romania, €10,000 of the price of any new electric vehicle is covered by the government, making the final prices very competitive from the customers’ perspective. As far as the charging infrastructure is concerned, utility companies, such Enel or Eneco, are already positioning themselves as key players, developing large networks of stations in partnership with retailers, real estate developers and even gas stations. Therefore, I do believe that those manufacturers which are already starting to plan for electric-only offerings will be the winners of the automotive market and, with their win, hopefully this time the environment will win as well.
Hi Marco,
Indeed interesting post on the future of electric vehicles. I totally agree with you that the supply chain of the electric vehicles is definitely not where it should be. However, I agree on Alexandru that several stakeholders are taking their stand in accelerating the market for electric vehicles. Indeed the amount of charging stations is increasing quite heavily. Furthermore, certain regulations came into place forcing carmakers to create electric vehicles and consequently consumers to buy. Additionally, regulations are about to change in Germany which will heavily transform the large automotive market in Germany in my opinion. I do agree on you that there are a lot of steps to take still. I am truly hoping that smarter and more sustainable batteries can be introduced on a short notice.