However, in recent years, numerous groups and organizations, including the Association of German Engineers, the International Energy Agency, and even British actor Rowan Atkinson, who famously portrayed Mr. Bean, have voiced doubts about the environmental effectiveness of EVs. The Green NCAP Life Cycle Assessment published by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) finds that, over the entire life cycle of an EV, driving accounts for 51% and production and recycling account for 43% of the total carbon emissions.
A report published by Emission Analytics, an emissions data research organization, states that the environmental pollution caused by tire wear from EVs is 1,000 times worse than the exhaust emissions from gasoline vehicles. The reason is that EVs carry numerous batteries, which increase the vehicle's weight and put more pressure on the brakes and tires. This leads to the increased release of suspended particles during wear, causing air pollution and posing harm to people’s health.
In addition to the aforementioned research reports, the following reasons are commonly cited by critics to argue that electric cars are not environmentally friendly:
Damages to the Environment
The production of electric car batteries requires a large amount of nickel mining, which involves deforestation of tropical rainforests and generates huge amounts of carbon emissions. Nickel Industries, the company responsible for mining in the Hengjaya mine in Indonesia, claims that the mining area in 2021 was three times the size of New York's Central Park, and the subsequent cleanup work led to 56,000 tons of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, equivalent to the carbon emissions from the operation of 12,000 gasoline cars for one year.
Shifted Emissions
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When hundreds of thousands of EVs are charged up, it directly increases the load on power plants. In a study conducted by UK’s University of Cambridge in 2020, in which 59 countries around the globe were looked at, it was found that the carbon emissions from electric cars in six countries, including China, India, and Poland, were higher than from gasoline cars. The reason is that these countries have a high proportion of coal-fired power generation and a high carbon emissions index per unit of electricity generated. This demonstrates that the ‘zero emissions’ of electric cars are in some cases illusory, where the emissions are merely shifted to the power plants.
Transportation Costs
Currently, the global production of electric vehicles is mainly concentrated in China, especially when it comes to the batteries. Many European and American automakers source batteries from Chinese suppliers, which generates carbon emissions during transportation and weakens the environmental score of electric vehicles.
Disposal of Batteries
Although EVs do not have gasoline engines, their internal components are no less complex, including motors, batteries, and a large number of electronic parts. Batteries have a fixed lifespan. When their performance deteriorates, the cost of replacement is very high, which will cause many owners to simply buy a new vehicle instead, resulting in an increase in the number of discarded EVs.
Frequent Accidents
EVs have outstanding performance, strong acceleration, and easy handling, allowing many drivers to reach higher speeds without realizing it. At the same time, the prices of EVs have been consistently decreasing, leading many novice drivers to choose them. However, a lack of experience in handling different road conditions can easily result in accidents, causing congestion and reducing the efficiency of other vehicles, ultimately leading to more fuel wastage.
