And without the most valuable ingredients, there will be little economic incentive to invest in recycling technologies. And that lack of knowledge may be slowing adoption of electric cars. Minter still has concerns about the potential environmental harm from manufacturing electric vehicles and their batteries. This system of actually using / selling the functional parts is immensely greener than immediately crushing and melting wrecked cars simply to say that its first use is finished, now it must be recycled. These subsidies will need to make up for the difference between the cost of transporting and processing spent batteries and the value of the extracted materials. Yawn….’whatabout’ arguments are generally tired and incomplete, similar to what you have just offered here. They won’t recycle unless they are penalized and/or incentivized to do so. Similar concerns exist for wind and solar power processes. It's a free-range-chicken-and-organic-egg problem. As Perry points out, companies will only recycle their products/components if it makes financial sense (right now, it doesn’t). – Ed. To account for the inevitable growth in this waste stream, manufacturers and electric vehicle advocates are touting the potential for these batteries to be reused after their useful life in vehicles has been realized. Lets focus on EVs for a second with out whatabouting in every direction just to be abrasive. Consumer Ignorance on Electric Vehicles Is Still a Major Problem, AAA Survey Says Lack of knowledge is stopping people who are interested in electric cars from actually buying them. When are we going to solve that problem? I personally think you should get a tax break for not owning a car. Maserati 'Needs Combustion Engines,' Will Never Go All-Electric: Report. Why is this even printed on Adventure Journal? Electric vehicle batteries typically must be replaced every seven to 10 years for smaller vehicles and three to four for larger ones, such as buses and vans. Using oil causes an array of problems, and transportation remains reliant on oil as the dominant energy source. Gavin Newsom’s call that all vehicles sold in the state be electric in 15 more years. By 2040, more than half of new-car sales and a third of the global fleet—equal to 559 million vehicles—is projected to be electric. We have already started shifting the burden of lithium-ion battery disposal to low- and middle-income countries, many of which lack stringent environmental safeguards and the facilities to recycle or otherwise process used batteries in an environmentally sound way. You mean to tell me it is not switching from ICE to EV that will save us but actually making us default to other, less impactful, means of transportation? require electric vehicle manufacturers to take back spent batteries from consumers, no similar regulation or legislation has been adopted in the U.S. Without these incentives, lithium-ion batteries will be dumped, incinerated, or exported to countries with weaker standards, where they will contaminate the environment and threaten public health. Electric vehicles offer the potential to disrupt this status quo relationship between transportation and oil, and offer a cleaner, better way to fuel transportation for everyone. This is typical of any new technology. Voila! I’m all for EVs and lowering fossil fuel emissions. Battery electric? Whereas China and the E.U. The track record in the U.S. for recycling e-waste does not offer much relief. Even if auto companies succeed only at reducing the concentration of these components, financial incentives will be needed to ensure that these batteries are collected and recycled. Battery electric cars have no engine but they still have coolant keep that big battery from doing what it naturally wants to do: catch fire. This is one reason why less than 5 percent of lithium-ion batteries are currently recycled. AAA recommends that car buyers do as much research as possible, including going to dealerships to test drive cars and pepper salespeople with questions. However, in another AAA survey conducted earlier this year, 55 percent of respondents said they believed most cars would be able to drive themselves within the same timeframe, even though that is much less likely to happen. While it might make you feel good to stop using fossil fuels, switching to an electric vehicle might be causing just as much if not more unrecoverable environmental damage. If you want people to run electric cars in the city and suburbs, there … Yet AAA claims its results show that 40 million Americans would likely consider an electric car for their next vehicle purchase, with Millennials more likely to take the plunge than other age groups. You might get ICE’d. This poses serious challenges. Car use will still need to be curbed even when all vehicles are powered by clean electricity, a report has said. You might believe the refineries will simply move their personnel and refurbish facilities to make batteries. And soon well have the masses of Model 3’s coming in used. An electric car doesn't produce emissions, but its parts still have a carbon footprint. In anticipation of the expected increase in sales, we must start now to plan for a future when individual lithium-ion battery consumption transitions from the one-ounce battery in your cell phone to the behemoth in your garage. Perry Gottesfeld is the executive director of Occupational Knowledge International and a member of the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Lithium-ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group. Over-reliance on automobiles for transportation is a big problem and EVs aren’t a solution. The problem with electric vehicles is that lithium is not the only rare material used in their construction. But the announcement also underscores one of the fundamental challenges that will complicate the transition to electric vehicles. But that won’t happen either if the raw materials aren’t economically transported to the manufacturing site. In September, Tesla announced that it would be phasing out the use of cobalt in its batteries, in an effort to produce a $25,000 electric vehicle within three years. Rather, the batteries are typically processed to remove the cobalt and a few other expensive metals, with much of the remainder released as air emissions or used as filler in concrete or other construction products. Cobalt can cause serious health conditions such as asthma and pneumonia, and it is a possible carcinogen. The switch to electric vehicles has been promoted as a major, necessary step to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to stave off the worst effects of a changing climate. Electric cars might be a quick fix to clean up transport, but the problems with cars go beyond just emissions. However, the truth is being swept under the rug. Although this isn’t much of a shock at all, few fail to recognize the total lack of variety that’s offered in the Tesla… Ask yourself how many people who buy luxury cars actually drive 500k miles as well. So why are there so many millions of tons of steel in cars and engines sitting around the US in backyards and junkyards, plus we have 12 million extra unemployed people. Technology, performance and design delivered to your inbox. If they’ll last even 400,000 miles, then that is a bargain. Things I have gotten from junk yards over the years: section of rigid fuel line for Toyota truck, wing window for VW Rabbit, Windshield for a ford escort, Chevy Transmission, VW engine block, etc…. As for battery recycling, some of the tried and true battery technology cars, are saying the batteries are good for 200,000-250,000 miles. The graceful wind farm will become the visual scourge of the future. Also, it’s pretty simplistic to assume that this one aspect of not recycling will lead to “environmental disaster.” Not recycling period, and the demise of recycling that has been happening for years is a huge problem, this only contributes to it. But as battery prices and production costs fall, such subsides will no longer be needed. Only three states have extended producer responsibility laws mandating that manufacturers take back lithium-ion batteries used in electronics, and none include vehicles. The Niro EV's problems reportedly included electric-motor bearing failure. First-Ever Mercedes-Benz EQC Electric SUV Rolls Off Production Line in Germany. To that end, the California Environmental Protection Agency has formed a multi-stakeholder committee, of which I am a member, that will advise the state legislature on crafting practical solutions. Concern over lack of charging stations and range anxiety was down 11 percent from 2017, while concern over battery-replacement costs and a higher purchase price for electric cars were down 8 percent and 6 percent, respectively. I’m sure buying privately would get them even cheaper. Some of our most-viewed articles of the past few years are about the, presumed, coming of electric trucks and SUVs as adventure platforms. We frequently cover EVs as part of our Overlandia column, it’s a big draw for many of our readers. None of the lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles are recyclable in the same sense that paper, glass, and lead car batteries are. Exposure to manganese can result in respiratory problems, loss of coordination, and other neurological problems. "Today, more than 200,000 electric cars can be found on roads across the country as almost every manufacturer sells them," Greg Brannon, AAA director of automotive engineering and industry relations, said in a statement. I say this as an EV driver, and career renewable energy professional. Every major auto manufacturer now has at least one electric vehicle in production, and some — including Daimler, Volkswagen, and General Motors — have pledged to phase out the production of gas and diesel engines entirely. Fuel Cell? But for all the hype, electric vehicles make up only 0.2 percent of passenger vehicles worldwide. This doesn’t mean the new tech is clean of all environmental impact. So listening to a podcast recently about recycling, it was talking about how plastic is not actually recycled much, and there’s quite tight requirements on what can and will be recycled. The Tesla suffers a panoply of build-quality issues include misaligned body … These vehicle batteries will be shipped to third world countries just like our used computer components where they will be scavenged for the minor useful materials and then dumped in poor communities causing hazardous waste impacts for decades. Perhaps It’s Time to Consider an Electric Car. by PERRY GOTTESFELD | Feb 1, 2021 | Opinion | 15 comments. Get out of here. Your email address will not be published. It’s a money problem and a policy problem. Sure, you’ll be at 75% life at 200,000 miles, but when that still gives you a 200 mile range, I can totally live with that. The rise of electric cars could leave us with a big battery waste problem New electric vehicles parked in a parking lot under a viaduct in Wuhan, … Then one has to consider the manufacturing processes to make the batteries and facilities it will require. Mr. Stark, these sounds don't make me feel so good. But as battery prices and production costs fall, such subsides will no longer be needed. The technology behind electric vehicles is advancing. Come on……. Respondents cited concern for the environment (74 percent) and lower long-term costs (56 percent) as the main reason for considering electric cars. Many survey respondents lack fundamental knowledge of electric cars. The only way this happens is with civic engagement (from voters), strong leadership, and effective environmental policy. Yes this take time, but its actually the better way to go about a careful use of resources. It is foolish and irresponsible for anyone to jump onto the renewable power band wagon without taking a realistic look at the entire picture, cradle to grave. That makes consumers reluctant to adopt them. To mitigate the climate crisis, we must commit to creating less-polluting vehicles and aircraft, expanded public transportation, better recycling programs, cleaner waste disposal, more renewable energy, more bike-friendly infrastructure… the list goes on. I applaud OAJ for telling at least part of the entire story about electric vehicles. Bringing awareness to opportunities for improvement is critical to progress!!! But these are still early days, and there is still time to implement legislative solutions that can help avert an impending waste crisis. Sometimes you have larger vehicles, old delivery vans etc. I am a firm believer that we need to transition to a more electric future, powered by solar energy and storage. It’s too early to say how many chargers will be needed statewide in 2035 for Gov. If this is generally true, a battery could potentially be reused a few times. Junk yards are generally in the business of selling used cars parts. The survey results indicate that people like the idea of electric cars, but more buyers will have to actually plunk down cash for them in order to achieve the ultimate goal of electrification: reducing emissions. Toyota is a leader in hybrid gas-electric cars, which will still be allowed under the government’s plan. German Auto Industry Battles Over The Electric Future. We also need to incentivize alternative modes of transportation. Of those surveyed, four out of 10 said they believed most vehicles will be electric by 2029. Depending on the car and the country, tax breaks on an electric car can be as much as $10,000—more than enough to sway buyer decisions, all else being equal. Elon Musk has stated that in an EV society we can not possibly generate enough electricity using renewable sources as the exist today. There is no free lunch when it comes to energy. A 150,000 mile old Model 3 is probably in my future. Well, overland travel and road tripping are big parts of the adventure world. Tesla’s new Model 3 and the Chevy Bolt both have ranges well over 200 miles — in 2015, the world’s top-selling electric car only had a top range of 80 miles. Despite ongoing research into recycling technology, this situation is unlikely to resolve itself. Vehicles like Teslas, and the new Jaguar I-Pace electric, will let you do that from afar via an app. If successful, this bold move will be an industry game changer, making electric vehicles competitive with conventional counterparts. Have you ever been “ICE’d“? and the U.S. to countries like Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Society needs to make reduce/reuse/recycle a priority because corporations never will. See this piece, or this one, or how about this one right here? One of the largest, the battery for the Mercedes-Benz EQC, comes in at 1,400 pounds. Nickel has been shown to cause lung and nasal cancers, reduce lung function, and cause bronchitis. This piece sheds some light on that. Few, if any of the most promising minerals (mostly rare earth minerals) for high storage batteries, are found in the US. Nick, you need to read something other than EV blogs and publications pushing EVs. Once it has nothing left to offer, it will be crushed and sold as scrap to be melted down and recycled. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I see an awful lot of them sitting in junkyards. More than a dozen countries, including many in Europe, have said they plan to ban sales of gasoline and diesel cars by 2040 or sooner. Electric mobility may be growing at a rapid pace around the world, but it could be some time before e-cars go mainstream. The switch would also significantly reduce health risks associated with vehicle emissions. Some have even put in place incentives, including tax waivers, to encourage used electric and hybrid vehicle imports. Limited choice. There is a company that has been reported on that puts these type of miles on their Tesla fleet but they had “little” issues, like having a whole motor replaced at low miles, bad batteries etc. This article was originally published on Undark. Thanks for publishing this article. Complicating matters further, different battery makers use different ingredients, cells, and modules, which makes the extraction process less efficient and more expensive. The cars themselves are often the storage for the parts. I would love to see a national push to recycle the metal from junkyard cars that have had the useful/wanted parts taken out. To Maserati's overseers, the brand means emotion, and to them, emotion means combustion. No loss of jobs, existing facilities put to good use. Used Tesla Model S’s can be had (very quick search on craigslist) for $30-35k with low 100,000 miles on them (2014 P85, one owner, clean title, with 115k for $33k today). Typically made with cobalt, nickel, and manganese, among other components, these batteries cost thousands of dollars and come with an environmental burden: They require ingredients sourced from polluting mines and smelters around the world, and they can ultimately contaminate soil and water supplies if improperly disposed. You leave me wondering if you ever published an article about the need to recycle gasoline and diesel engines. Without cobalt, there may be little financial incentive to recycle the massive batteries used to power the cars — and that could lead to an environmental disaster. Lithium-ion battery makers have yet to develop the technology that can economically extract components in a form that can be used to make new lithium-ion batteries. From General Motors’ Super Bowl ads to President Biden’s climate-change plans, plug-in cars are now being cast as a central player in America’s response to a warming future — turning a perfectly reasonable technological hope into overblown hype. But electric vehicles come with their own host of environmental concerns that combustion engine-powered ones don’t. Electric Cars Still Face a Major Roadblock To wean drivers off gas vehicles, automakers need to help them develop a whole new understanding of what it means to own a motorcar. There’s one big problem with electric cars EVs offer a politically simple, one-stop expiation for our unsustainable ways, so long as we all ignore the Escalade in the room It’s like being “iced” by an opposing coach who … That's one of the reasons why Tesla has never used them, preferring to sell cars directly to customers. Electric cars could be less expensive if electric car makers could ramp up production volume and use economies of scale. The number of vans on the UK's roads is increasing faster than any other type of … The CR experiment was designed to simulate a typical daily routine consisting of multiple drives—such as running errands. Your argument about simply ‘seeing junk yards’ proving that they dont recycle does not hold up. After years of being derided as a joke by car manufacturers and the public, interest in electric vehicles has increased sharply as governments around the world move to ban petrol and diesel cars. Not to mention the fact that EVs must be recharged using electricity currently generated by fossil fuels for efficiency. Another member of Detroit's "Big Three" joins the race toward bringing an electric pickup to market, elevating the competition yet again. Some companies have launched efforts to repurpose these high voltage, flammable electric vehicle batteries for solar energy storage and other backup power applications by rebuilding batteries using a combination of reused and new parts. Recycling of ICE cars, this is a good point. Before you start worrying about recycling the surplus of dead batteries, you best consider where the minerals needed to make these exotic batteries will come from in the first place. That may not help, however, as traditional dealers haven't shown much enthusiasm for selling electric cars. In this test, we put the EVs through three trips, each about 21 miles. But, he added, “I’m … California also just announced a plan to phase out gas and diesel cars by 2035. I’ve read accounts of Tesla Model X drivers getting 500,000miles out of their battery with only a 10% reduction in overall charge capacity.

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