Although many fully EVs carry “zero emissions” badges, this claim isn’t true. EVs may not emit greenhouse gases from their tailpipes, but emissions are created in the process of manufacturing the batteries and charging the vehicles.
Due to rising oil prices and growing concerns about carbon emissions, more people are turning to EVs. We are going to explore the carbon emissions associated with EVs by focusing on three key aspects: battery production, electricity sources, and life cycle emissions. The aim is to provide a balanced view of the environmental impact of EVs.
Battery Production
The most common way to obtain lithium is through a method known as brine mining, which involves extracting saltwater from deep underground reservoirs. The saltwater is then pumped up to the surface and then placed in pools where the water can evaporate due to the sun’s heat, leaving behind lithium and other elements. These minerals are then collected and processed further to be used in battery production. This method is widely used because it is an efficient way to gather lithium, but it also involves significant use of water and can impact the surrounding environment.
Extracting lithium in Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile uses a huge amount of water, about 500,000 gallons for each ton of lithium. In Chile’s Salar de Atacama, various companies involved in lithium extraction have used up 65% of the region’s water supply. This massive use of water has led to severe water shortages in the area, creating serious challenges for local farmers who rely on water to grow their crops and take care of their livestock.
Fissures have appeared in the ground near Albemarle’s lithium mine in Silver Peak, Nev., as observed on October 14, 2023. Fissures and sinkholes develop when underground water levels drop.
In addition to these water issues, lithium mining has other environmental impacts. It harms the soil, contaminates the air, and further depletes the already limited water supply.
Both brine and hard rock mining have environmental and social costs. Sixty percent of the world’s lithium is found in brine deposits located in South America’s “lithium triangle,” which includes areas that are ecologically sensitive. Mining of all kinds can disturb the landscape. While hard rock mining uses more freshwater, both types of mining require a lot of water, which might be limited in some mining regions. In places where lithium is extracted from brine, there is also a significant loss of brine. Brine is not considered as fresh water suitable for human use, so it may have fewer regulations protecting it, but mining from it can still negatively impact ecosystems.
The energy used by mining machinery causes climate pollution, including carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. A study from 2021 showed that producing lithium from brine releases around 11 tons of carbon dioxide for each ton of lithium. On the other hand, mining lithium from spodumene ore generates about 37 tons of carbon dioxide for each ton of lithium.
The Lithium Triangle includes a series of closed basins in the Andes. Rainwater from the nearby mountain peaks has flowed into the basins for years, forming lakes, wetlands, and salt pans, and also gathering underground. The water has brought with it large amounts of lithium carbonate. However, its extraction poses a big threat to water resources and wetlands in the area.
This threat is mainly because lithium is mostly extracted by pumping up lithium-rich brine and storing it in evaporation pools. The brine is then concentrated and taken away to be processed into lithium carbonate. Extracting lithium uses a huge amount of water, which evaporates, causing large amounts of water to be lost each year. This puts underground freshwater reserves at risk of becoming salty when they come into contact with the brine. This process causes surface water bodies to dry up and harms wetland ecosystems. The drying up of these areas has direct effects on biodiversity and the climate because large amounts of carbon that were safely stored get released into the atmosphere as CO2, which contributes to the negative effects of climate change.
Particularly in hard rock mining, for every ton of mined lithium, 15 tonnes of CO2 are emitted into the air.
The amount of CO2 emitted during the process of making a battery can vary greatly depending on the materials used, how they are sourced, and what energy sources are used in manufacturing. The vast majority of lithium-ion batteries, about 77% of the world’s supply, are made in China, where coal is the main energy source. Coal emits roughly twice the amount of greenhouse gases as natural gas, another fossil fuel that can be used in high heat manufacturing.
Electricity Sources
In 2023, utility-scale electricity generation facilities in the United States produced around 4,178 billion kilowatt hours (kWh), which is roughly 4.18 trillion kWh of electricity. About 60% of this electricity came from fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases. Coal was the fourth-largest source of energy, making up about 16% of the electricity generated in the U.S. in 2023.
Of the electricity generated in the UK in 2022: 40.8% came from fossil fuels.
In India, 56.8% of the total energy requirement was fulfilled by fossil fuels, 49.1% of the total energy generated was from coal.
Countries worldwide depend heavily on fossil fuels, like coal, to produce electricity. For example, in the United States, a large portion of electricity is generated from fossil fuels, with coal being a significant part of that mix. Similarly, in the UK and India, fossil fuels account for a big share of electricity production, with coal playing a major role in India. This reliance on fossil fuels leads to substantial carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change. Because of this, even though electric vehicles (EVs) are often promoted as a cleaner option, the electricity used to charge them can still have a carbon footprint if it is generated from fossil fuels. Therefore, the environmental advantages of EVs are not as straightforward as some companies may claim, and they are not completely “green” if the electricity that powers them comes from sources that produce a lot of carbon.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are often marketed as environmentally friendly solutions, but this portrayal can be misleading, especially in India. Despite the growing adoption of EVs, a substantial portion of electricity in India is still generated from fossil fuels like coal. This means that the electricity used to charge EVs often comes from sources that emit significant amounts of carbon. As a result, the environmental benefits of EVs are not as significant as they are sometimes presented to be, since the power used to charge them can contribute to carbon emissions. Thus, the marketing of EVs as a completely green alternative is not entirely accurate in the context of India’s current energy mix.
Life Cycle Emmissons
Some studies have found that producing a typical EV can generate more carbon pollution than producing a gasoline car. This is mainly because of the extra energy needed to make the EV’s battery. However, over the entire life of the vehicle, the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manufacturing, charging, and driving an EV are usually lower than the total GHGs from a gasoline car. This is because EVs have no tailpipe emissions and generally cause much fewer GHGs during use.
For example, researchers at Argonne National Laboratory estimated the emissions of a gasoline car with an EV that has a 300-mile range. According to their estimates, while the GHG emissions from manufacturing and disposing of the EV are higher, the total GHG emissions over the EV’s lifetime are still lower than those of the gasoline car.
How to have less Carbon Footprints
In “direct lithium extraction,” special filters are used to pull lithium out of brine. This process can be less impactful on the environment compared to traditional brine extraction, and the water used in the process can be recycled.
The consultancy Minviro found that geothermal lithium extraction method, as practiced by Vulcan Energy. Resources have a lower environmental impact.
To make electric vehicles (EVs) greener, we need to boost research and development (R&D) efforts. This should focus on finding alternatives to lithium that are less harmful to the environment. Additionally, we need to create more eco-friendly methods for mining lithium if it continues to be used. By improving these areas, we can reduce the carbon emissions of EVs and make their production process more sustainable.
Environmental policies should be framed to ensure that lithium mining causes minimal environmental damage.
Recycling EV batteries can reduce the emissions associated with making an EV by reducing the need for new materials. Recycling lithium-ion batteries helps with material shortages and is better for the environment. Beyond the recycling supply, used EV batteries can also be reused for things like grid storage, which supports green practices.
Using recycled materials from used batteries has potential to decrease:
Costs by 40%
Energy use by 82%
Water use by 77%
SOx emissions by 91%
Speed up research and development to demonstrate and produce new types of batteries, such as solid-state and lithium-metal batteries. These should have a high energy capacity and avoid using cobalt and nickel.
Conclusions
Lithium extraction for battery production, especially through brine mining, significantly impacts water resources and local ecosystems. To reduce these effects, it is crucial to adopt more sustainable mining practices and explore alternatives to lithium.
The environmental benefits of EVs are diminished by the continued dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation. Reducing the carbon footprint of EVs requires transitioning to cleaner and renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, tidal, geothermal energy for electricity production.
Although EVs can have higher carbon emissions during manufacturing, their overall lifecycle emissions are typically lower compared to gasoline cars. This is due to their zero tailpipe emissions.
Advancing research and development in battery technologies, such as solid-state and lithium-metal batteries, can help reduce the carbon footprint of EVs. Additionally, implementing better recycling methods and developing more eco-friendly mining practices are essential for minimizing environmental impacts and promoting sustainability.
EVs are often promoted as being completely eco-friendly, but this isn’t completely accurate. The production of EVs involves mining raw materials for their batteries, which also contributes to carbon emissions. Mining processes, especially those for lithium, release significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. This means that even before an EV is charged or driven, its battery production has already added to its overall carbon footprint. Therefore, claiming that EVs are completely green isn’t true.
By: Abhinav Thakur
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