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, it is 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 promotes 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
 Last Name 2

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

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. With rising prices for all things oil and rising concerns for the environment, electric

vehicles have caught the eye of the public, and are soaring in popularity. This is not only

attributed to their eco-friendliness, but also their ease of maintenance. Oil changes and regular

maintenance trips are often overlooked or ignored by vehicle owners, leading to all kinds of

trouble down the road for their vehicles. With electric vehicles, these become woes of the past.

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

and allowing room for questions, Martin also mentions mentioning that most of the previous

hurdles of electric vehicles have been surpassed, like battery size, which leads into 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

 Last Name 3

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 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 some form of battery 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

cumbersome 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
 Last Name 4

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.

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
 Last Name 5

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.

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

 Last Name 6

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

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 something 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 This

is where conventional motor oil comes in. Gasoline is a byproduct of conventional oil, so
 Last Name 7

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.

With some of the less pleasant aspects of electric vehicles outlined, 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.
 Last Name 8

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

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,
 Last Name 9

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

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
 Last Name 10

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 11

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 12

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.