The convenient truth about electric vehicles

There is one fundamental point — perhaps the fundamental point. If you are going to buy a car, it is far better from an environmental point of view to buy an electric one. New or used. Whether you live in California or Texas.

Yes, manufacturing a vehicle produces greenhouse gas emissions. Somewhat more for an EV than a traditional internal combustion engine car. But the emissions from operating an ICE swamp (or should I say trump) these emissions. It takes driving only a few thousand miles in an EV to save the extra emissions from producing that vehicle. And yes, electricity is not 100% emissions free everywhere at all times. Nevertheless, the emissions from operating an EV even using a mix of renewable and non-renewable electricity are far less than operating an ICE on gasoline or diesel.

If you buy an EV instead of an ICE, your individual contribution to climate change will be greatly reduced. And you will help move the overall vehicle market further in favor of lower emissions.

Importantly, the handwringing over the ecological and human impact of the lithium or mineral supply chain is misplaced. Yes, of course, this supply chain can have serious impacts. Mining. Processing. Shipping. But if we are going to discuss impacts, let’s make a comparison between extracting, processing and delivering say 25 pounds of lithium (roughly the amount in an EV) and say 25,000 pounds (4,000 gallons) of gasoline used to drive 100,000 miles in a typical ICE. In reality, there is no comparison. The gasoline/diesel supply chain impacts are far greater. Just ask people who live near pipelines in Africa, wells in Latin America or tankers in Asia.

The handwringing over EV disposal is also misplaced. In general, vehicles are among the most recycled products on earth. That applies to EVs and their batteries as well. The key components of an EV battery are not consumed by use but transformed. The batteries can have a second life providing home or utility backup power. And the minerals can have a third life in new batteries. The international EV community is committed to what is called a battery “circular economy.”

When buying a car, the best comparison is between the entire lifecycle impact of an EV versus an ICE. On this basis, the EV wins.

The situation is more complex if the issue is whether to buy a car at all; that is, to keep an existing ICE car or replace it with another car. If you only drive say 2,000 miles a year, it may, in fact, be better to just keep driving your existing car rather than buying a new one. You will save the planet the emissions associated with making a new car. But most people drive far more than that. If you are planning on driving your current car say for just 5,000 miles over another five years, you will save emissions by replacing that vehicle with a new EV. Of course, the best choice — from an environmental point of view — would be not to drive the vehicle at all but to walk, bicycle or take public transit. However, this alternative is of limited practicality.

Finally, let me be clear. As a strong proponent of EVs, I recognize that they are not perfect. They are not even “the same” as ICE cars. They are different. They are better in some ways — say on an environmental and “total cost to own” basis. And at the moment, they are worse in some ways — say for model selection and refueling convenience. Overall, though, the balance of costs and benefits is in favor of EVs. And the balance is moving further in that direction every day. As we look to address the challenge of climate change, this is definitely a convenient truth.

Adam Borison is a longtime Peninsula resident. He has a Stanford Ph.D. in Engineering-Economic Systems, is a renewable energy and transportation electrification expert, has taught on the adjunct faculty at Stanford, Berkeley and Cambridge, and is a USAID Senior Technical Advisor on energy and transport issues. He was formerly a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and is currently CEO of eMotion Autos, a used EV dealer. The opinions expressed are entirely his own.