It’s well known that the average gasoline vehicle pollutes much less than it did 10 years ago. But what about electric vehicles? Have they become greener since their introduction to the North American vehicle market, just before 2010?

The automotive industry has invested considerable effort in reducing its energy footprint since the first major oil shock in 1979. Indeed, the average gasoline vehicle is now equipped with much smaller engines than before, often coupled with turbochargers, to minimize their energy consumption.

This search for an increasingly less polluting personal transportation method is gradually leading the automotive industry to adopt electric vehicles. However, are EVs progressing as much as gasoline vehicles in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions?

To find out, we must first look at the production processes of electric vehicles. In recent years, there has been a centralization of EV production stages in North America. According to Stéphane Pascalon, Senior Project Manager at Propulsion Québec, manufacturers in the EV sector are now seeking to bring parts manufacturing sites closer to where their raw materials are located.

“For example, battery manufacturers will position themselves closer to lithium mines to reduce the distance raw materials need to travel to reach the factories.”

Thus, as the EV industry expands, manufacturers have more and more resources to optimize their supply chains and reduce their carbon footprint.

Debunking the myths

It’s often said that an electric vehicle needs to run for 10 years to be less polluting than a gasoline vehicle. However, as Daniel Breton, President and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, explains, this is one of the biggest myths plaguing the EV industry: “In places where green electricity is produced, like Quebec, the ecological impact of the battery is offset after 25,000 kilometres. In other countries, yes, it takes longer, but 10 years is really exaggerated.”

Many myths also circulate about the minerals used to build electric vehicle batteries. It’s often said that batteries use metals whose extraction is very polluting.

In fact, this myth rather refers to rare earth elements, minerals that are actually completely absent from EVs, according to Breton: “In batteries, we find lithium, cobalt, or nickel. However, these are not rare earth elements, which are found in 100% of gasoline vehicle exhaust systems.”

Finally, it’s believed that EVs lose nearly 50% of their range after 10 years. But in reality, EVs only lose 10% to 15% of their range after 250,000 kilometres. “It’s also said that level 3 chargers reduce EV range,” adds Breton. “However, this is false, as EVs are equipped with systems that prevent them from being damaged during charging, regardless of the type of charging station.”

Recycling batteries

Just a few years ago, the low sales volume hardly convinced entrepreneurs in the automotive sector to venture into recycling electric vehicle parts. However, thanks to the marked expansion of this industry segment, more and more companies specializing in recycling are emerging, contributing to making the EV industry even greener.

According to Daniel Breton, today’s technology allows for the recovery of up to 98% of electric vehicle batteries, thereby reducing the carbon footprint associated with battery creation. “Batteries that use recycled minerals, such as lithium, allow for a 72% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during their design. And when it comes to water consumption, it’s even more. We’re talking about an 85% reduction.” However, there are currently few battery recycling centres worldwide, which makes accessibility to these services rather complex. In Quebec, however, several battery recycling programs have emerged in recent years, as explained by Ian Sam Yue Chi, General Manager of the Quebec Automobile Dealers Corporation (CCAQ). “Although every vehicle has an ecological footprint, it has been demonstrated that electric vehicles have the smallest footprint. One year after the launch of the Electric Vehicle Battery Recovery Program in Quebec, we can be proud of the significant advances made in recycling and reuse. This program puts our industry at the forefront of environmental innovation. We are demonstrating that we are capable of transforming a challenge into a sustainable solution. Thanks to our collective commitment, we have not only reduced environmental risks, but we have also contributed to building a robust circular economy that benefits all of Quebec. This initiative demonstrates our leadership and our ability to innovate for the benefit of our planet’s future.”

Making EVs more eco-friendly

The constant development of new technologies and processes related to electric vehicles also helps reduce their environmental impact. According to Pascalon, for example, current EV batteries are much more compact and require fewer materials than before: “As technology advances, the energy density of batteries improves. This means we can create smaller batteries with fewer materials.”

Thus, it’s not because a recent Tesla Model 3 can travel three times the distance of a first-generation Nissan Leaf that its battery is necessarily larger. And the lighter the batteries, the lighter the electric vehicles, and the more optimized their energy consumption.

Technological advances also allow for the reduction of energy expenditure necessary to manufacture batteries. Indeed, according to Breton, the energy consumption (in kWh) used for battery manufacturing has been reduced by 60% between 2013 and 2017. “This is the result of two factors. On one hand, we’re discovering new chemical combinations that improve battery efficiency,” explains Breton. “And on the other hand, we’re seeing the emergence of more and more structural batteries, which allow for space and material savings in EVs, as they are an integral part of the structure under the vehicles.”

Finally, we can see that the electric vehicle industry has made a lot of progress in terms of reducing its ecological footprint thanks to the development of battery recycling services, technological advances, and the development of EV supply chains. All that remains is to deconstruct the many myths surrounding them for EVs to truly take off!