Thanks to the likes of pioneering manufacturers like Tesla, the number of electric vehicles on the road today is exponentially more than that of 5 years ago, in fact, there was an 81% increase in electric car sales year-over-year from 2018 with adoption rates showing little signs of abating.
While the overall number of EV on the road are still dwarfed by traditional gas-guzzlers,. there’s no question: the appeal of electric cars is increasing because more and more people are concerned about pollution and carbon emission of their cars. Electric cars are better for the environment because they don’t emit as much greenhouse gasses as fossil fuel-powered cars.
With a growing interest in electric cars, there are also many questions in the mind of the public. Some wonder how green they really are. There are some who also want to look further into some manufacturing issues affecting the environment. Also, there are questions on the way electricity is generated and whether hybrid cars are also good for the environment. All that will be answered below.
Are Electic Cars Good For The Environment?
The short answer is yes. Using electric cars instead of diesel or fuel cars will greatly improve air quality in cities or towns. The pure electric cars do not produce any carbon dioxide emissions when they are driven. Simply using them will greatly reduce air pollution. The reduced air pollution makes the area a better place for pedestrians, cyclist and other people in their own vehicles.
Aside from air pollution, electric cars are also great for reducing noise pollution. The cars are quieter than conventional vehicles. This helps create a more peaceful environment not only for us but also for the animals around us. Some animals are greatly alarmed by the sound of cars and it can be stressful for them.
What Is The Effect Of Electric Car Production In The Environment?
Some people argue that greenhouse emissions are also produced in the production of electric vehicles. They say that the emission in the production negates the absence of the emission while the car is driven.
It is true that manufacturing electric cars take a lot of energy. There are also emissions produced while electric cars are manufactured and they can also be higher than when a conventional car is produced. This is because of the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. That is an essential part of an electric car. The CO2 emission related to the electric car is mostly from the manufacturing process.
However, as technology advances, this scenario also gets better. More efficient manufacturing techniques will soon be used. This will also greatly reduce the number of gas emissions produced.
Additionally, reusing and recycling batteries is also an alternative. The market for this is now growing and there are researches done to look for ways on how to reuse the batteries. When the day comes that the batteries are efficiently reused and recycled, we could greatly reduce the manufacture of them and their environmental impact.
Even if the manufacture of electric vehicles produces greenhouse gasses, it is still a greener option as compared to traditional cars. This is because the emission is greatly reduced over the lifetime of the car.
What Is The Impact Of The Electricity On The Environment?
Another concern is how electric cars get powered. We know that it has to be charged, but how green is the production of the power for the electric car?
In research done by the European Energy Agency, they found that electric cars produced fewer car emissions compared to traditional cars even when the procedure of producing electricity for electric cars was considered. The emissions are further lowered when low carbon electricity is used.
Are Hybrid Cars Good For The Environment?
Hybrid cars are equipped with an electric motor and a traditional fuel engine. That is why they still produce emissions while they are driven.
However, how green they are will depend on several factors. First is on how much of the journey is spent on electric miles vs the use of fuel. Another factor is how the cars are charged or where it gets the electricity to make it run.
A hybrid car will certainly be better for the environment if you do short frequent short trips and charge your car using 100% renewable electricity. However, if you tend to use your hybrid car’s combustion engine, then your car’s emission will be the same as that of a traditional vehicle. It wouldn’t be better than any other fossil-fuel vehicle.
When Is The Electric Motor In A Hybrid Car Used?
To produce lower emissions with your hybrid car, it is important to know when it uses the electric motor. Usually, the electric motor is used at slow speeds, which is observed in urban areas. However, electric motors aren’t only used in that scenario. They also give additional power to cars when going uphill, when accelerating and during traffic. For more detailed information, you may also read our post on “How Do Hybrid Cars Work?”
