Electric cars are becoming an increasingly popular choice of vehicle amongst people in the UK. Known for being a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional petrol-fuelled cars, electric cars are powered by electricity from batteries, so no pollutants or greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere.
As we all try to make more of an effort to help protect the environment, switching from a petrol car to an electric car is a fantastic way to reduce your carbon footprint. But how much better are they for the environment? We look at the eco-friendly advantages of electric cars below.
Environmentally friendly benefits of electric cars
As previously mentioned, one of the biggest advantages of electric cars is their lack of emissions. Unlike traditionally powered petrol vehicles, electric cars can operate without releasing harmful pollutants, which massively improves the air quality in towns and cities. With no tailpipe, electric vehicles produce no carbon dioxide emissions. So, driving an electric car can significantly contribute to cleaner air for everyone, making towns and cities a better place to live. In over a year, just one electric car on the roads can save an average of 1.5 million grams of CO2. That’s the equivalent of four return flights from London to Barcelona!
In addition to reducing air pollution, electric cars have a much lower carbon footprint than traditional vehicles. The electricity used to power electric cars can come from a variety of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. As more renewable energy sources are introduced, the carbon footprint of electric cars will continue to decrease.
Economic advantages of electric cars
Electric cars offer economic benefits for both individuals and society as a whole. For individuals, the cost of fuelling an electric car is significantly cheaper than regularly filling a petrol tank. Electric cars also require less maintenance than traditional vehicles, which can further decrease ownership costs.
On a larger scale, a transition to electric cars would reduce dependence on foreign oil, which could lead to an increase of new jobs in the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of electric car infrastructure.
How does electric car production affect the environment?
The production of electric vehicles does use a lot of energy. However, even after taking electric battery manufacturing into account, electric cars are still a greener alternative to petrol-fuelled cars, because of the reduction in emissions created over the car’s lifetime.
The emissions created during the production of electric cars are usually higher than traditional cars, because lithium ion batteries are essential for the running of electric vehicles. More than a third of the lifetime CO2 emissions from an electric car come from the energy used to make the car itself. As technology develops, this is changing for the better.
There is a growing market for recycling electric car batteries, with ongoing research into the use of second-hand batteries in new technologies such as electricity storage. In the future, there's potential for households to have batteries being used to store energy. Developments like this will reduce the environmental impacts of battery manufacturing.
Challenges
With the continued advancements in technology and increasing focus on sustainability, it is likely that the future of transportation will be electric. However, the cost of electric cars is still typically higher than traditional vehicles. This is a significant barrier to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, which will need to be addressed if electric cars are to become mainstream. Even though their cost is decreasing, electric cars still aren't an affordable option for everyone.
