Separating EV myths from facts

Many individuals and businesses have accepted the necessity of reducing emissions and one of the ways of doing this is by switching to electric vehicles.

EVs play a key role in reducing some of the negative effects of road transport on human health, the environment and climate.

According to an EEA report on EVs, greenhouse gas emissions of EVs were about 17 to 30 percent lower than the emissions of gasoline and diesel cars.

The production of these vehicles is also expected to become more efficient, and the production of electricity cleaner, every year the life-cycle emissions of a typical EV could be cut by at least 73 percent by 2050.

The fact is, even if CO2 emissions were no longer an issue there are still compelling reasons and benefits for businesses to switch to EVs.

Do EVs cost more than they save?

For many years, one common objection to more widespread adoption of EVs has been that while they save CO2 on the road, the manufacture of the vehicle and its components releases more CO2 than is saved.

There is an element of truth to this.

According to a report from Ricardo on life-cycle emissions from cars, a standard gasoline vehicle will result in 5.6 metric tons of CO2 emissions during its production, while a full-electric car cause 8.8 tons.

However, the counter to this comes when we look at the total lifetime CO2 emissions per vehicle.

A standard vehicle will emit 24 ton during its lifetime (which the study defines as traveling 150,000 kilometer), while an EV will emit 19 tons (predictably, hybrids are somewhere in the middle at 21 tons).

That gap could increase even further.

Rrenewable power is making up an increasing percentage of the energy mix in countries around the world, so the amount of CO2 generated to produce power for EVs will gradually get cleaner.

As mentioned, this doesn't mean that the manufacture of EVs is without environmental effects, as the creation of lithium batteries is extremely water-intensive and can cause toxic pollution in rivers.

The batteries also break down over time and cannot be recycled easily, although this could change in the future.

Emissions, noise pollution benefits

It should be noted that CO2 isn't the only thing emitted by engines, and there are many others that are more immediately harmful. For example, nitrogen oxide (NOx) is is produced by both diesel and gasoline engines.

While a gasoline engine's catalytic convertor will reduce NOx, diesel vehicles can't use this technology. NOx pollution significantly increases the chance of respiratory disease and contributew to increased mortality.

Similarly, gasoline and diesel vehicles both produce particulates. These are tiny pieces of dust, soot and liquids in the air that can spread for miles. The larger particles can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, but the smaller particles can cause heart disease and cancer.

There are other benefits to switching to EVs. A study by the EEA reported that, "chronic exposure to environmental noise significantly affects physical and mental health and well-being."

EVs could be virtually silent, but legally they are required to emit a sound with a minimum frequency of 56 decibels, whereas a conventional vehicle produces about 62 decibels when driving at 30 mph (48 kph) and 70 decibels or more at more than 50 mph.

These differences might seem small but decibel levels ramp up quickly and have profound effects. If 68 percent of the world is living in urban areas, as the UN predicts, then noise could be a serious factor in global suffering.

The reduction of CO2 emissions is vital, which is a major reason why many governments are making it a priority to reduce emissions. But it forms one key part of many other factors that make the switch to EVs just as compelling for the new era of mobility.