The market of electric cars is growing rapidly, with over 26 million on the road in 2022. Generally speaking, electric cars are very similar to gasoline cars, with two main differences: (1) electric cars are powered by electricity that powers a battery while gasoline cars are powered by gas that makes the engine run. (2) electric cars use the battery needing to be recharged to run while gasoline cars need to be refueled with gasoline. Autolib is an eco-friendly project, debuting in December 2011, offers people in Paris, France the chance to share electric cars. Officials think it is a very unique and useful way of traveling around the city of Paris. Promoters of the Autolib program say the small electric cars can run for more than 150 miles on a single charge. The Autolib program reduces harmful emissions released by gasoline-powered cars. Scientists believe that the carbon emitted by standard vehicles harms the environment and contributes to global warming. While electric cars are growing in popularity and provide many benefits, still some disadvantages exist while using them, including high upfront investment, charging issues, and battery problems.
Upfront cost of the electric cars is way higher than the gasoline counterparts because those electric cars are harder to produce and cost more for development, research, and making. Although from a long-term perspective, the owner could spend less money on operating costs, such as maintenance fee, the initial investment could be a significant barrier for potential consumers. Collected statistics data from Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book, the average transaction price for electric cars across the US is about $53754 in 2024, while the average price of electric cars (sedans, small hatchbacks, sport models, etc.) in the US is closer to $72,000. This includes cars like the Tesla Model 3, Lucid Air, Chevrolet Bolt EV, and the Nissan Leaf. The prices of Tesla models are higher than the average cost of a new vehicle. As the cheapest Tesla, the Model 3 is priced at $40380. The all-wheel-drive-only Tesla Model S is priced at $76380. Electric cars often cost much more than comparable gas-only vehicles, even though the maintenance fee and operation costs of electric cars are much lower from a long-term perspective. Seriously, the option of purchasing an electric car is simply not possible or achievable for many people, only the wealthy could afford electric cars with ease. According to the S&P Global Mobility Survey, “Pricing is still very much the biggest barrier to electric vehicles. Almost half (48%) of the 7,500 respondents globally consider electric car prices to be too high, even though they understand that most electric cars inherently carry a price premium.” Indeed, electric cars come with a higher price tag upfront, which most of the consumers could not afford even though they love the idea and the benefits of electric cars.
Additionally, charging issues, such as home charging installation, charging time, releasing high amounts of carbon dioxide during charging, and access to a charging station, would be a core concern for electric cars consumers. The cost for charging station installation is between $545 and $1376 with an average cost of $750 for a Level 1 station (using a standard 120-volt household outlet) and $1100 for a Level 2 station (using a 240-volt outlet which is similar to a dryer outlet). Electrician labor costs for installing Tesla chargers from the electrician could cost much more than expected with some more advanced and complex setups, when the location where to charge is a long way from the main electric panel. Moreover, Level 1 charging is the slowest form and it provides about 2 to 5 miles or range per hour of charging, meaning a full charge could take anywhere from 8 to over 20 hours for an electric car. Level 2 charging generally delivers about 10 to 60 miles of range per hour of charging, suggesting 4 to 10 hours for fully charged. Electrical cars take a long time to charge which is very time-inefficient. According to Young People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE), “A coal-fired power station emits 800-850 grams of CO2 per kWh (recent estimates suggest this may be lower, at 650g per kWh), whilst a cleaner, gas-fired power station emits 350-400g CO2 per kWh.” This statement shows that high amounts of carbon dioxide would be released into the air during the process of charging electric cars, suggesting that charging electric cars is actually harmful to the environment. Tesla has their own network of chargers, and it has a very extensive map, covering smaller and less populated places in the United States. Also, the Tesla Supercharger network has become ubiquitous across many countries including the US, with thousands of new stations across hundreds of locations being installed each year. However, finding a place to charge could be a concern for non-Tesla electric car owners during a long trip. In the article Everything You Need to Know about Electric Vehicles comments “For longer trips, planning might need to be done in advance to identify rapid chargers that can be utilized throughout the whole trip.” Not only cannot electric vehicles travel long distances without constantly charging, but also electric cars would take longer to charge while emitting high amounts of CO2.
Battery for electric cars, including materials for making batteries, battery life and replacement, and battery disposal, would be another inevitable problem for electric cars buyers and sellers to consider. Lithium is the critical component of making batteries for electric cars because it is lightweight and has high energy density. Until 2022, 130000 tons of lithium has been mined where Chile produces the largest amount of lithium (8800 tonnes per year). According to the Wall Street Journal, “lithium-ion battery mining and production are worse for the climate and environment than the production of fossil fuel vehicle batteries.” causing problems of air and water pollution, land degradation, groundwater contamination, ecosystem dysfunctions, and global warming. Also, battery would lose its capacity and range as it ages. Replacing the battery for electric cars would be quite expensive. The cost of a battery for a Tesla depends on the model and battery size. At $5,000 to $7,000 per module, a 4-module battery pack could cost around $20,000 to $28,000 to replace (excluding labor costs). Furthermore, battery disposal of electric cars present several environmental challenges. If the battery made of lithium is not properly disposed of, it would release harmful chemicals into the ground, contaminating soil and groundwater for years. Similarly, the discarded battery poses a threat to human health. Environmental researchers, Taotianchen Wan1 and Yikai Wang, explain that “lithium-ion batteries may overheat and fire when exposed to high temperatures or when penetrated, releasing carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide that can be very harmful to human health.” Waste batteries will also cause water pollution and inhibit the growth and reproduction of aquatic organisms and other potential dangers. Therefore, it is necessary to recycle it efficiently.
In summary, significant drawbacks of electric cars remain even though electric cars offer environmental benefits and the promise of reducing harmful emissions released by gasoline-powered cars. Not many buyers are able to afford to buy electric cars due to the substantial initial investment. Even though they could afford such an investment, the installation fees for personal charging stations would be another high expense. Potential buyers should also consider the time-period length for charging the electric cars and the access to charging stations especially on the road. Battery for electric cars is another essential challenge that electric cars companies and consumers need to think about. The extraction of lithium made for batteries would be environmentally damaging because lithium could not be recycled. The production and disposal of the batteries end up posing long-term hazards not only to the environment but also human health due to their toxic components. To combat these drawbacks, maybe the government could provide more accessible financial incentives. Or the researchers or developers hired by the electric cars company could find some technological advancements in charging speed and battery capacity. Both the government and company could sit down and discuss how to discard the batteries, how to landfill those waste batteries, and how to improve recycling methods. The bottom line is that no matter what solutions or advancements, protecting the environment without making pollution, damage, or contamination should be the first priority to think about.
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