A new study finds that EVs are indeed cleaner than gas-powered vehicles in the long run, despite lingering skepticism about the environmental benefits of electric vehicles.
The details: The study, conducted by Northern Arizona University and Duke University, found that while manufacturing EVs and their batteries requires significant energy, the vehicles are still much safer for the environment than their gas-powered counterparts, reports AP News.
What researchers found:
EVs produce 30% higher carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline vehicles in their first two years due to the energy-intensive production and manufacturing processes involved in mining lithium for batteries.
But by year three, EVs offset this manufacturing footprint and come out ahead in CO2 emissions, staying far ahead for the rest of the vehicle's lifetime.
The study estimates that gas vehicles cause at least twice as much environmental damage over their lifetimes as electric vehicles.
What they’re saying: “While there is a bigger carbon footprint in the very short term because of the manufacturing process in creating the batteries for electric vehicles, very quickly you come out ahead in CO2 emissions by year three and then for all of the rest of the vehicle lifetime, you’re far ahead and so cumulatively much lower carbon footprint,” said Drew Shindell, an earth science professor at Duke University and study co-author, (via AP).
Drew Shindell
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Between the lines: The researchers evaluated several harmful air pollutants monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency and used emissions data to compare the relative climate impact of EVs versus internal combustion engines over time.
Their projections also assume the U.S. power grid will continue adding clean energy sources like solar and wind.
"When you add a bunch of electric vehicles, nobody's going to build new coal-fired power plants to run these things because coal is really expensive compared to renewables," Shindell explained. "So the grid just overall becomes much cleaner in both the terms of carbon emissions for climate change, and for air pollution."
The elephant in the room: Many outside experts agreed with the findings—as long as the policy landscape supports it, which hasn't been the case under President Donald Trump.
Also worth noting, the study didn't address battery recycling or disposal at the end of their lifespans. Although, analysts largely agree that EV battery recycling will continue improving, helping to address one of the environmental impacts of production.
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