Check the carbon footprint of your electric car
The electric car is an obvious part of our future transport and it is important that we continue to invest and develop the technologies of the production. However, the environmental friendliness of the electric car is more complex than many are aware of as the production of the batteries is very energy-consuming. This means that if the electric car is to be classified as environmentally friendly, the battery must be produced with 100% renewable energy.
In fall 2018, I studied the course Sustainable Development A at Uppsala University. In the course Climate, Energy and Modern Society, I took a closer look at the subject of electric cars and batteries to gain a greater understanding of the complexity of implementing the new technology. You can read the essay here for a deeper insight.
The topic of sustainable electric car production touches on many aspects, but most relevant to discuss when it comes to the environmental friendliness relates to energy consumption. It turns out that to produce a battery for an electric car requires as much carbon dioxide-equivalent gases as a car with an internal combustion engine emits over the span of 10 years. (This calculation excludes the production of a fossil fuel vehicle, so exact calculations are difficult to make.)
But! Given the green revolution that we are facing, it is absolutely necessary to continue investing in the technology of the future. Batteries are currently experiencing their own industrial revolution, technology and production procedures are improving at an exponential rate. This will lead to cheaper and higher quality batteries that have a less harmful effect on the environment. A good example is the company Northvolt, which is a leading Swedish company in sustainable battery production, they produce batteries made from 100% renewable energy sources. The prices of batteries will fall as research increases and production becomes more efficient.
/ Ariana Ghatan
