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/
