Electric Cars’ Dirty Secret: 12 Environmental Costs You Might Not Expect

When people think about electric vehicles, they often focus on their benefits, like reduced air pollution and lower fuel costs. 

But do you know about the hidden environmental costs that come with them? Many of these concerns are not obvious but can have a big impact on our planet.

1. High Energy Use in Production

Making EVs, especially the batteries, uses a lot of energy. About 50% of the greenhouse gas emissions from an EV’s life come from the energy used to produce the battery. (ref) This includes energy for mining materials, processing them, and assembling the batteries.

The energy source for manufacturing affects overall emissions. In areas that rely on fossil fuels for electricity, the carbon footprint of EVs can be similar to regular vehicles. However, using renewable energy can greatly reduce these emissions. (ref)

2. Extraction of Rare Earth Metals

Electric vehicle batteries need rare earth metals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Mining often destroys natural habitats, harming local plants and animals.

For example, lithium mining can use up to 2 million liters of water in dry areas, (ref) affecting farming and local residents. The mining process also creates a lot of pollution, including toxic waste and heavy metals that can dirty soil and water. 

As the need for these metals grows with more EVs being made, there are worries about how long we can keep mining them. As supplies run low, the environmental damage from mining may increase.

The International Energy Agency predicts that demand for rare earth elements could rise three to seven times by 2040. (ref)

3. Challenges in Battery Disposal

As more people adopt EVs, battery disposal becomes a bigger issue since EV batteries contain materials that make recycling tricky. Many recycling methods aren’t standardized, making it hard to recover valuable materials.

Batteries have harmful substances that can pollute the environment if not disposed of correctly. Improper disposal can contaminate soil and water, risking public health and ecosystems.

There isn’t enough infrastructure to recycle EV batteries properly. As a result, batteries can end up in landfills instead of being recycled or reused.

4. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Generation

While EVs have no tailpipe emissions, their overall impact depends on how electricity is made. The total emissions from EVs include those from battery production and electricity generation.

In places that use coal or other high-emission sources, these emissions can lessen the benefits of driving an EV. (ref) 

As countries move to cleaner energy, the emissions from powering EVs are expected to drop. This change will make EVs more sustainable and support efforts to fight climate change.

5. Short Lifespan of Batteries

The lifespan of EV batteries presents an environmental challenge. Most lithium-ion batteries last about 8 to 12 years, depending on their use. (ref) As they wear out, they need replacing, increasing the demand for new batteries and more resource extraction.

Since the recycling systems for EV batteries are lacking, many batteries end up in landfills instead of being recycled. This wastes valuable materials and risks hazardous waste leaks (broken lithium-ion batteries can catch fire) into the environment. (ref)

6. Rising Demand for Non-Renewable Resources

The rising demand for electric vehicles is increasing the extraction of non-renewable resources.

As EV sales grow, competition for limited resources like lithium and cobalt increases. This demand can lead to unsustainable mining practices that damage ecosystems and communities.

Extracting these materials often causes serious ecological harm, including deforestation and pollution, which can have lasting effects on biodiversity and local environments. (ref)

7. Environmental Effects of EV Charging Networks

The ecological footprint of charging EV batteries is about 3.1 × 10−4 gha/kWh. This means that for every kilowatt-hour of electricity used to charge EV batteries, it impacts approximately 0.0008 acres of land, reflecting the environmental costs associated with that energy use. (ref)

Building charging networks needs a lot of resources and energy. If not planned sustainably, this construction can lead to land use changes and habitat loss.

8. Toxicity of Electric Vehicle Parts

Some parts of electric vehicles can be harmful to the environment. If these parts break down or are not disposed of properly, they can release toxic substances that can pollute soil and water.

A toxic chemical called PFAS in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and other electronics is polluting air, soil, and water in the U.S. and Europe.

A study found that bis-FASI, released into the air, can travel long distances and may pollute places far from where it is produced or used. (ref)

9. Inadequate EV Infrastructure

As more people buy EVs, EV infrastructure is still not enough to keep up with its fast growth. Early owners had the benefit of convenient chargers in their garages, but most charging stations today are set up this way, making it difficult for those who can’t afford personal installations.

It also affects buyers’ confidence in EVs. One is range anxiety, which refers to the driver’s fear of running out of battery before they reach an available charging station.

While public charging has improved, it mainly exists in urban areas, leaving rural residents with fewer options. However, there’s a plan to increase the number of public chargers to nearly 25 million by 2035, a sixfold rise from 2023. (ref)

10. Power Demand Starts to Climb

A new analysis by Jon Berntsen and Frank Melum from Thomson Reuters examines what the world might be like if 2040 marked the end of fossil-fuel vehicles. Using historical car sales trends, the study projects the effects of increasing EV adoption from today to 2050. (ref) 

As sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles decline, carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions drop,  but power demand rises. This means that as EV adoption increases, the demand for electricity would also surge, illustrating the need for sustainable energy sources to power these EVs. 

11. Overconsumption in the EV Industry

Even with its green reputation, the EV industry adds to the problem of overconsumption around the world. The push for people to switch to EVs often ignores the environmental impact of making millions of new vehicles each year.

By 2050, the U.S. will need three times the amount of lithium that is currently produced worldwide. (ref)

Rather than promoting better transportation options like public transit or cycling, the EV industry encourages people to keep using personal vehicles. This leads to more environmental issues related to resource extraction, production, and waste.

12. False Advertising Claims of EVs

False advertising in the electric vehicle (EV) industry is a growing concern as manufacturers shift from traditional cars to electric ones. Misleading claims can confuse consumers about what EVs really are and their benefits. 

For instance, Toyota’s “Electrified Diversified” campaign has been criticized for calling gasoline-powered hybrids “electric” or “EVs.” Many people believe an “electric vehicle” means a car that runs solely on electricity without a gas engine.

Public Citizen has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), arguing that Toyota’s ads mislead consumers about the environmental benefits and features of its hybrid cars. (ref)

As we move towards a greener future, we can make better choices for the environment and work towards truly sustainable transportation solutions.