Are electric cars really so environmentally friendly?

Question

The electricity has to be generated somewhere doesn't it? And making batteries is really bad for the environment too, so are they are really such a good thing, or does it just make the owners feel better, or even a bit smug?

Answer 1

i get the feeling that its to make the owners feel smug for these reasons

a. that theyre doing something 'for the planet' i.e. they're 'contributing'.

b.that they can afford the cars. i think theyre quite expensive

and yes. generating electricity is very harmful. depending on where they get it from. if theyre burning crude oil for it then yes. but if its from wind farms or water turbines then its ok. however it is unlikely that the electricity is from either of these sources as they make up less than 5% of the worlds electricity sources

so in answer to your question

electric cars are a failure of engineering. until they find renewable sources

Answer 2

Any commerce gas technologies that will develop the generating requirement above contemporary replace and develop production isn't environmentally friendly. It takes incredibly some capability and substances to make a clean motor vehicle, much greater for an electric powered motor vehicle by using fact the conventional public does no longer settle for a "Batteries no longer coated" coverage. The batteries might additionally might desire to be recycled each 2 years which is composed of much greater capability and a few extra substances. All of this represents a significant carbon footprint. additionally, the place is the electrical powered energy from, maximum electricity on the instant are the two from coal or organic gas. A gas motor vehicle working on Fischer Tropsch guy made gas made by ability of bio-mass gasification could be carbon adverse while an electric powered motor vehicle charged on coal produced electricity could be carbon constructive as a result if so, the gas motor vehicle could be greater environmentally friendly. the main environmentally friendly option gas option might artwork with latest automobiles and distribution networks as a manner to avert the environmental expenditures of fixing the motor vehicle fleet and of making new infrastructure. this boundaries the suggestions to bio-butanol, bio-diesel, and guy made fuels. of direction, motor vehicle manufacturers want the electrical powered, hybrid and hydrogen routes as they get to make and sell greater automobiles. the conventional public will probable bypass with the environmentally risky electric powered, hybrid and hydrogen suggestions by using lack of understanding and merchandising efforts even nevertheless the technologies to produce biomass derived guy made fuels have been around for the greater ideal portion of a century and has been shown on scales as great as finished worldwide places (WWII Germany, and embargoed South Africa).

Answer 3

They can be, but you point out two very good questions about electric cars. If you could re-charge your car overnight using solar energy, that would be ideal. The biggest drawback to electric cars right now is battery technology. Batteries are still too heavy & too expensive to make electric cars really worthwhile right now. Alot of companies are working on new batteries. If that happens, we could see alo tmore elctric cars. Until then, drive a Civic and be happy :-)

Answer 4

Sorry folks, it doesn't matter what power plants burn.
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Electric cars produce much less pollution than gas cars, because of the greater efficiency of electric drive (electric motor, 95% efficient, versus gas engine, 25% efficient.) Delivering energy by wire to electric cars (95% efficient) is also much, much more efficient than trucking gas to thousands of service stations. And fossil fuels, when burned in large powerplants, burn far more efficiently (up to 85% efficient in newer plants) than they do in your car.
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The proof of all this is right in the fuel prices. Gasoline costs at least 10 cents per mile. Electric cars drive around for only a penny or two per mile. The difference comes from efficiency. Much greater efficiency = much less pollution.
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Believe it or not, your gas car runs on electricity! It's true, large amounts of electricity are used to refine gasoline. Gasoline makes pollution during refining, it makes pollution when it's being delivered to gas stations, and it makes pollution when you use it. Anything else is a huge improvement.
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You can't criticize batteries based on 30-year old technology. Modern EV batteries are not considered an environmental hazard by the EPA. Spent li-Ion batteries have the lithium in harmless salt form (like the sodium is in table salt.) Plus, new li-ion battery designs have very long lifetimes (10 to 20 years) and are fully recyclable.
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But if you want to talk about real environmental hazards, try used motor oil and coolant, neither of which are used or wasted by EVs.
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Since nobody answering here seems to know what a modern electric vehicle is, here's one:

http://phoenixmotorcars.com/models/fleet.html
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The Phoenix electric pickup truck - with Altairnano li-ion batteries, can:

-Travel up to 250 miles per charge
-Carry 5 passengers plus cargo at 95mph.
-Charges batteries in as little as TEN MINUTES.
-Has batteries that last 250,000 miles (never need replacement.)
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Yes, it is a real car - being manufactured right now for fleet customers.
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Answer 5

I think you are correct. Pollution is a by-product of virtually all manufacturing. Batteries are a hazardous waste when it is time to dispose of them.
We still have coal-fired electric utility plants in the US.

Answer 6

they must still have environmental consequenses due to the elecrtical supply needed to recharge the batteries unless it was nuclear generated electrical power supply.still they must be cleaner than diesel or petrol engines.

Answer 7

All those cables stretching out along the roads. Keep tripping people up.

Answer 8

good point a real environmentalist would have a pedal charger at home and cycle charge the batteries or just walk (i guess)

Answer 9

you think much more clearly than the fools on the other side