This topic was prompted by someone I met with an EV making snotty remarks about ICE cars and how they are polluting the earth. I suggested he do more research about how his own EV is built and runs.
Yea, this will make some people upset who think our EVs are perfect alternatives to ICE cars on the environment. As much as I like to think my Tesla is a perfect alternative, I am a realist.
While our Teslas are much better at reducing pollution and waste, I’m not one to brag about it. Consider about 30% of the electricity generated in USA to charge the cars is made by coal-powered plants (over twice the number of Wind, solar, and hydro plants combined), and the 20% of nuclear plants to generate the electricity will make waste that will be radioactive for thousands of years. And while roughly 30% of electricity is from natural gas plants that are cleaner than coal, they still pollute.
But then there is pollution that goes into making the car; diesel equipment mining and processing the Lithium, factories that smelt and create all the aluminum and steel, oils from the plastics, and factories to create all the other components of fabric, electronics, wiring, and on and on. Then there are the toxic chemicals to create the computer chips and many other components. Maybe as bad as making an ICE car.
So I hope folks keep in mind when creating that custom license plate of “No Waste”, “No CO2” or whatever, then you are just denying reality. The reason I bought the car is because I like it. I don’t think I am helping to save the earth. Yea, it is a lot better alternative to ICE, but not pollution free.
The good news is that as we switch to higher percentages of clean sources for energy generation, the numbers work in our favor.
Yea, this will make some people upset who think our EVs are perfect alternatives to ICE cars on the environment. As much as I like to think my Tesla is a perfect alternative, I am a realist.
While our Teslas are much better at reducing pollution and waste, I’m not one to brag about it. Consider about 30% of the electricity generated in USA to charge the cars is made by coal-powered plants (over twice the number of Wind, solar, and hydro plants combined), and the 20% of nuclear plants to generate the electricity will make waste that will be radioactive for thousands of years. And while roughly 30% of electricity is from natural gas plants that are cleaner than coal, they still pollute.
But then there is pollution that goes into making the car; diesel equipment mining and processing the Lithium, factories that smelt and create all the aluminum and steel, oils from the plastics, and factories to create all the other components of fabric, electronics, wiring, and on and on. Then there are the toxic chemicals to create the computer chips and many other components. Maybe as bad as making an ICE car.
So I hope folks keep in mind when creating that custom license plate of “No Waste”, “No CO2” or whatever, then you are just denying reality. The reason I bought the car is because I like it. I don’t think I am helping to save the earth. Yea, it is a lot better alternative to ICE, but not pollution free.
The good news is that as we switch to higher percentages of clean sources for energy generation, the numbers work in our favor.