The electric car has already been much talked about. First presented as an almost miraculous alternative, we quickly heard criticism. The answers to your questions.
What exactly is an electric car?
It is a car that runs on a battery integrated into the vehicle, unlike conventional so-called "thermal" cars which run on petrol or diesel.
There are different types of electric cars, such as the hybrid car, which has a combustion engine and an electric motor that recovers energy during braking, transforms it into electricity and powers the battery. The hydrogen car produces its own electricity using a "fuel cell" that transforms this hydrogen into electricity. Intended to replace traditional combustion cars, electric vehicles are part of the energy transition, both to replace oil, the resources of which are dwindling, and to reduce CO2 emissions, which are largely responsible for climate change. But they are not perfect... unfortunately!
Is an electric car more polluting than a conventional car?
No, since the electric car does not have an exhaust pipe and therefore does not emit CO2 when it is running. However, the life cycle analysis of an electric vehicle reveals that its manufacture emits more greenhouse gases and requires more energy than a thermal vehicle, because of its battery and its more sophisticated electric motor. To know which of the two is the least harmful ecologically speaking, it is also necessary to take into account the number of kilometers they can travel (which depends on the model), the weight of the vehicle, the impact of the components, recycling at the end of life, etc. A real headache, because the extraction and refining of the metals needed for the batteries, as well as the electronic production of the electric car, also involve soil and water pollution . On the other hand, when the engine provides a large part of the so-called "regenerative" braking, the electric car releases fewer fine particles, from the friction of the tires on the road and the brake pads, than other cars. Finally, whether it is thermal or electric, the most ecological car is above all the lightest, this is the first criterion to take into account. An electric SUV is not preferable to a thermal city car.
Do electric cars have the same ecological impact around the world?
Absolutely not! Because the electricity used by the car (the one that comes from the charging station) is produced from different energy sources depending on the country. Electricity can actually be produced from polluting fossil fuels such as coal, fuel oil (oil) and gas, or via "green" or "decarbonized" energies such as nuclear, hydraulic and renewable energies (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, etc.) which do not emit greenhouse gases. Each country uses a mixture of these energies to produce all of its electricity. Thus, an electric car recharged in France, where electricity is produced 75% from nuclear energy, involves very low CO2 emissions. On the other hand, an electric car in China or India consumes electricity produced mainly from coal, the most polluting energy in terms of CO2 and fine particles.
Why are electrical components and batteries problematic?
Electric motors and batteries are the cause of increasing mining pollution due to the large quantity of metals they require for their manufacture. The extraction of these metals, also called "rare earths" (lithium, cobalt, aluminum, copper, etc.), is particularly responsible for intense pollution of soils and groundwater. Metal deposits are overexploited in countries that often have few stringent environmental standards, and to the detriment of populations , including children who are sometimes exploited to work in these mines. Add to this the enormous energy consumption linked to mining and the storage of highly toxic residues that are most often released into nature or the sea, deforestation due to the creation of mines that trigger soil erosion and depletion, and all the threats associated with biodiversity, the electric car cannot be described as an "ecological" vehicle, far from it.
Is it desirable to replace all cars with electric ones?
No, this would not be desirable for all the pollution caused.
With 100% electric cars, it would also be necessary to be able to meet the power demand of millions of vehicles that could plug into the network at the same time to recharge, which could cause the electricity network to collapse and cause a massive failure or "blackout" across an entire region, which has already happened in Norway.
Furthermore, there is a risk of a rebound effect: the user, who has a good ecological conscience , wants to make the purchase of his electric vehicle profitable and uses it more, more often. A phenomenon already observed in Sweden and Norway, countries where the widespread electric car is used for short journeys, instead of walking or cycling. A use that goes against the limitation of pollution and global warming unlike carpooling, public transport and especially the reduction of travel.
The electric car is therefore not THE solution. It has its flaws, but the merit of being an innovation to be improved. Particularly in terms of rare earths, the exploitation of which is extremely polluting, and which risk running out very quickly as it is so difficult to extract them, whereas they could be recovered and reused if the batteries were recycled.
