In recent years, the rise of new energy vehicles has been a hot topic in the automotive industry. With the increasing concerns about environmental issues and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clean energy electric cars are eventually invented. Tesla, Rivian, NIO and other electric vehicle brands gradually came into people’s minds. Electric Cars, or E-cars, are cars that use electric motors instead of an internal combustion engine. Rather than carrying energy in the form of gasoline in a tank, these cars carry energy as electricity in a battery. Nowadays, numerous countries start to promote the extensive use of electric cars more than gas fuel cars. Unlike gas cars and diesel cars, electric cars appear to be more “environmentally friendly” because they reduce pollution and possess titles like “Zero Emission Green Cars”, but is this really the case? Well, according to several research studies, the disadvantages of electric cars actually outweigh the benefits. Countless drawbacks of applying electric cars will apparently appear once you apply personal use on them.
Electric cars are comparatively expensive with higher initial purchase cost that make purchasers unsatisfied. The most costliest part of an electric car is the battery, which is made from lithium, copper, and rare earth magnets that are extremely expensive to purchase and manufacture. According to Kelley Blue Book data, the average transaction price for electric cars cost around $5000 more than gasoline cars. Eliminating the battery repairing cost, one electric car costs around $60000, which is absolutely unaffordable for commoners. Many people might argue that petrol cars need gas expenses while electric cars only require charging; they often neglect the charging cost of electric cars and other factors. According to a study from Anderson Economic Group, “most cars cost more to charge than to fuel with gas” because of the overall cost of installing chargers, registration fees, and battery packs. According to a University of California-Davis study of roughly 4000 people, about 20% of E-car owners purchased a gas car the next time, most bothered with charging headaches. Of those who switched, 70% didn’t have a Level 2 charger at home. Installing Level 2 chargers, chargers that are more efficient, is a significant investment to most car owners. Till now, achieving financial viability while providing affordable charging options for users is a complex challenge.
One main issue of electric cars is its charging inconvenience, together with a relatively low battery range and lifespan. Charging an electric car is never just an effortless “plug-in”, instead, it requires long lasting time, which appears to be super inefficient. Fueling a petrol or diesel car takes a maximum of five minutes, but fully charging one electric car ranges between 30 minutes to 12 hours, depending on the battery and charging speed. The main reason behind the long charging period is because of the limited battery range. According to EVbox, the average petrol car can easily do 400-500 miles on a tank of petrol, a diesel car might do closer to 700 miles, poorly, the latest electric cars on average need recharging every 217 miles. For instance, people in the United Kingdom drive about 20 miles each day, which means they need to charge their cars every 10 days. Another problem is the amount of charging stations when driving outdoors. What if the battery runs out and you can’t find a location for charging? Many studies claim that “those who need to drive longer distances regularly are not suitable for driving electric cars” because there’s charging infrastructure in remote and rural areas.
The biggest debate in recent years has been whether electric cars can protect the environment, and the truth is that electric cars generate the same amount of emissions as gasoline cars, or even worse. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “the production process of electric cars involves tons of toxic wastes, mining, and water contamination.” For example, mining for rare lithium for making lithium-ion batteries contributes to soil pollution. The manufacturing process for Tesla batteries releases harmful pollutants into the air and water. Studies in companies like “Green-Cars” states that each ton of refined lithium uses up 500,000 gallons of water, and the results deplete the water table and cause soil contamination. According to EVCS Production, the average mid-sized electric car with an 84-mile range creates 15% more emissions than petrol cars in the manufacturing process. Producing those lithium-ion batteries creates a significant carbon footprint, releasing between 2400 and 16000 kg of carbon dioxide. Additionally, the recycling of lithium-ion batteries contributes to a serious problem as well. According to “Green-Cars”, 90% of average gasoline vehicle batteries are recycled, but only 5 % of electric car batteries are recycled. Factories and manufacturers dump huge toxic battery wastes in oceans and soils.
Electric cars are meant to serve a purpose of reducing global warming, pollution, and promote speed efficiency. But in reality, the inconvenience and high initial cost make people give up on purchasing them. Many people are also surprised by the hidden dark manufacturing process of electric car batteries, providing a major significant contribution in releasing carbon dioxide, which severs air, water, and soil pollution. If electric cars become the major transportation vehicle today, it’s sure to be a disaster and numerous controversies will occur. There should be a consideration on the development of electric cars, and to be sure, the newest electric cars are definitely not suitable enough for people to drive and depend on. Compared to conventional cars fueled with gasoline, electric cars are no better, or even worse because of all the factors mentioned. Currently, the whole world is in the process of dealing with the significant social issue of climate change, or global warming. Apparently, applying the use of electric cars to reduce climate change is a wrong idea, at least for now. We should not only focus on those zero emissions or carbon footprints, but also a product’s sustainability and convenience in order for future development. Making earth return “green” is indeed difficult, but if we work together and give critical arguments, we may succeed.
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