Are electric vehicles greener than combustion engine cars?
Do electric vehicles (EVs) really represent a more eco-friendly option given their absence of polluting emissions, despite the environmental concerns regarding the disposal of their batteries? Is this trade-off ecologically worthwhile?
5 comments
No idea what the lifetime, production, and disposal environmental impact is. But I can say that if every car/motorbike in every major city is electric, it does wonders for the livability of the people.
I'm in China right now. 10 years ago, it was hellish to breathe in a major city and cars made the average temperature hotter. Today, it's much better. Granted, a lot of has to do with other improvements such as moving factories farther away from cities. But a lot of it is the electrification of vehicles, both cars and motorbikes. In Shenzen, where I'm at right now, almost all motorbikes are now electric and 90% of DiDi (China's Uber) rides have been electric cars for me over the last week. It seems like 50% of cars on the road are electric, though I'm just eyeballing it. I'm going to guess that within 5 years, 90% of the vehicles in Shenzen will be electric at this rate. China's electrification of transportation is nothing short of astounding for someone who visits for a month once every year or two.
Conversely, I visited Vietnam recently where 99% of transportation is still ICE and it was simply awful to breathe and walk around.
I'm in China right now. 10 years ago, it was hellish to breathe in a major city and cars made the average temperature hotter. Today, it's much better. Granted, a lot of has to do with other improvements such as moving factories farther away from cities. But a lot of it is the electrification of vehicles, both cars and motorbikes. In Shenzen, where I'm at right now, almost all motorbikes are now electric and 90% of DiDi (China's Uber) rides have been electric cars for me over the last week. It seems like 50% of cars on the road are electric, though I'm just eyeballing it. I'm going to guess that within 5 years, 90% of the vehicles in Shenzen will be electric at this rate. China's electrification of transportation is nothing short of astounding for someone who visits for a month once every year or two.
Conversely, I visited Vietnam recently where 99% of transportation is still ICE and it was simply awful to breathe and walk around.
It's very difficult to get a good answer to that question. There are unknowns like the likely lifetime and second hand market for electric cars. There are serious vested interests on both sides. And there are buyers who will defend their decisions.
I suspect there is a benefit, but what the size of it is is anyone's guess.
I suspect there is a benefit, but what the size of it is is anyone's guess.
This old chestnut keeps popping up, likely driven by the oil and auto industry dinosaurs as part of their FUD campaigns.
Short answer - yes EVs are definitely significantly greener. The well to wheel numbers on ICE are horrible.
https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/comparative-l...
Short answer - yes EVs are definitely significantly greener. The well to wheel numbers on ICE are horrible.
https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/comparative-l...
To OP: with no link to a story, please include "Ask HN:" in title?
> This old chestnut keeps popping up, likely driven by the oil and auto industry dinosaurs as part of their FUD campaigns.
This. More interesting than the question asked, is why it keeps popping up in news feeds.
Whatever studies I've seen on a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for EVs, are loud & clear imho.
So I'll 2nd jaggs' theory there. Big Oil's trolls at work.
> This old chestnut keeps popping up, likely driven by the oil and auto industry dinosaurs as part of their FUD campaigns.
This. More interesting than the question asked, is why it keeps popping up in news feeds.
Whatever studies I've seen on a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for EVs, are loud & clear imho.
So I'll 2nd jaggs' theory there. Big Oil's trolls at work.
Yes.