English 8

Electric vehicles are applauded as an eco-friendly substitute to gas-powered cars, yet constructing electric vehicles produces more greenhouse gas emissions than manufacturing a diesel car. Electric vehicle batteries are bigger than those used by gas-powered vehicles ((Zeng et al., 2019). In addition, gas-powered vehicles used lead-acid batteries, while electric cars use lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries require more energy to produce, and they are harder to recycle. On the other side, people who advocate for electric vehicles believe that vehicles help tackle climate change since greenhouse gas is not emitted directly. Recent research in Germany at the think-tank Institute shows that electric cars will hardly help decrease Carbon dioxide emissions in Germany in the future (Zeng et al., 2019). They suggest that battery electricity's carbon dioxide emission is slightly higher than the gas-powered vehicle or diesel engines. Other current researches on electric cars in Germany have gotten to a different conclusion. One researcher found that electric vehicles' emission has emission up to 43% lesser than the fuel engine. Another study shows that electric cars have lesser lifetime climate effects than those with diesel engines (Harper,, et al., 2019). 

Electric vehicles are more appealing in the world where decreasing pollution, as well as carbon emission, is a growing concern for most of the people. One of the main advantages of electric vehicles is their impact on improving air quality in cities and towns. With no carbon dioxide emission when driving electric cars can give people a cleaner street. According to the Mayor of London, road transportation accounts for about half of the town’s air pollution. It is no surprise that the UK administration wants to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road. The UK leaders have set a goal for the auction of diesel and petrol vehicles expelled in the next 20 years (Wang et al., 2020). Moreover, a decrease in pollution can improve public health and a reduction of ecological damage. I can truly say that I am completely for electric vehicles because they are environmentally friendly compared to a diesel vehicle; this paper will discuss the impact that electric cars have on global pollution (Harper, et al., 2019). 

Literature Review

In order to better understand the impact of electric vehicles on the environment, the history of electric cars should be taken into consideration. This review will examine the position of the two sides of the controversy, beginning with the pro side, which favors electric vehicles. This review will also include the position against the use of the electric car. 

A Brief look at electronic vehicles

Electric vehicles have been around longer than General Motor EV1 of the late 1990s and Tesla Motor. The first inventor to create electric cars was Hungary. However, it was not until the second half of the nineteenth century that English and French inventors constructed some of the first practical electric vehicles (Shi et al., 2019). Electric vehicles are easy to drive and do not emit unpleasant pollutants like other diesel vehicles. Electric cars became more famous, especially for women as urban residents. As more individuals increased access to electricity in the 1910s (Harper, et al., 2019). It became less difficult to charge electric vehicles, and this added to its fame. The popularity caught many inventors' eyes, and Porsche came up with the world’s first hybrid car that was power-driven by both gas engines and electricity (Eftekhari, 2019). 

On the other hand, Thomas believed that electric vehicles were superior technology; therefore, he worked on building a better electric vehicle battery. Currently, electric cars account for a third of the vehicles on the road in the United States. In the next text year, the sale of electric cars is projected to increase (Nykvist, et al., 2019). In 1973, there was a shortage of oil, and most automakers began to explore some of the alternative fuel vehicles, such as an electric vehicle. However, electric cars could only go for 64 kilometers on a single charge. This made them far from desirable (Harper, et al., 2019). In 2006, Tesla announced that it would be producing luxury electric vehicles that would go more than 320 kilometers on a single charge. A new battery technology came into the market, improving the plug-in-electric car range and decreasing the battery cost by half over four years. This reduced the cost of electric cars, overall making it more inexpensive for customers. 

The argument for electric vehicle reducing pollution 

Producing electricity that fuels electric cars can generate pollution. However, those emission levels are lower than the pollution generated by diesel vehicles. Research shows that it could be lower as the electric power sector cleans up over the next ten years (Nykvist, et al., 2019). Direct emissions are produced through vaporization from the petroleum system, tailpipe, and during the powering procedure. Direct emissions such as smog-forming pollutants like nitrogen oxide and other pollutants are harmful to greenhouse gases and health. All-electric cars emit zero direct emission, which aids in increasing air quality. Diesel vehicles that have a gasoline engine produce evaporative emission from the fuel system and tailpipe emission when operating on gasoline (Liao et al., 2017)

One of the benefits of electric vehicles is that it does not produce tailpipe emission from direct burning fossils fuels (Nykvist, et al., 2019). This emission can result in climate change in climate and dangerous air pollution. Electric vehicles have the potential to decrease traffic noise on the streets and in car parks. Diesel or petrol cars seem to be the loudest ones. Research in India shows that vehicle traffic is one of the main contributors to noise pollution. Many studies have allied noise pollution to rise in high blood pressure, depression, stress, stroke, high blood pressure, and heart diseases. In addition, noise pollution leads to high stress, which can worsen current medical conditions (Li et al., 2017). 

Life cycle emission involves all emissions related to vehicle production, distribution, processing, and use. All cars produce substantial life cycle emissions (Wang et al., 2020). However, electric vehicles produce less life cycle emission than diesel cars because most productions are lower for electric production than burning diesel and gasoline. The precise quantity of emission relies on the electricity mixture, which differs from one region to another (Eftekhari, 2019). 

The argument of the electric vehicle increasing pollution 

The process of making a vehicle begins with the raw materials being refined, extracted, and transported to the manufacturing company. Several parts will be put together to produce the car itself. The procedure is very much the same in both electric and diesel vehicles. According to the union of concerned scientists (Eftekhari, 2019), at the end of the manufacturing procedure, electric cars are the ones that generate more carbon emission because electric cars keep energy in the large batteries (Eftekhari, 2019). Electric vehicle batteries are made from a rare earth element like nickel, lithium, and graphite found beneath the earth's surface. According to the Chinese Society of Rare Earth, in order to produce one ton of rare earth elements, 75 tons of acid waste and one tone of radioactive residues are made (Liao et al., 2017). 

Pollution and climate change is an existing threat for most life on the planet. The main difference between the electric vehicle and diesel vehicles is transforming the potential energy into kinetic energy. Those in favor of electric cars, reducing pollution, state that all-electric vehicles produce zero direct emission, improving air quality. Diesel vehicles with a gasoline engine produce evaporative emission from the fuel system and tailpipe emission when operating on gasoline. Electric cars produce less life cycle emission than diesel vehicles because most emissions are lower for electric production than burning diesel and gasoline. Those in favor of electric vehicles increasing pollution states that at the end of the manufacturing procedure, electric cars are the ones that generate more carbon emission because electric cars keep energy in the large batteries. Electric vehicle batteries are made from a rare earth element like nickel, lithium, and graphite found beneath the earth's surface. As electric vehicles' interest and popularity increase, it is essential to analyze its impact on the environment (Harper et al., 2019).

The environment is polluted through the addition of materials or forms of energy that destroy the surrounding environment (Shinnar, 2016). Some of these materials include harmful gases, particles, and toxic liquids. Electric cars reduce environmental pollution since they require no fuel. This makes it the best solution as they eliminate all toxic materials that are emitted and associated with the use of fuel that affects humans, animals, and plant development (Lave et al, 2017). Despite being the best solution, they use electricity that is initially sourced from fossil fuel. For example, there is carbon emission through the use of coal to produce electricity (Lave et al, 2017). However, this is considered due to the low level of carbon compared to cars running utilizing fuel. Having electric cars means that there is still a contribution to greenhouse gases in an indirect way which contributes to global warming although it is a preferred way to reduce pollution from the transport sector.

Electric cars have few machines that carry toxic substances that lead to environmental pollution. Traditional cars that use fuel are equipped with mechanical systems such as lead batteries that are not environmentally friendly which is a huge threat to human health (Shinnar, 2016). Diseases that affect the lungs, and kidneys are as a result of chemicals incorporated within the car system. On the other hand, electric cars use light materials such as aluminum and plastics which are also non-biodegradable resulting in additional environmental pollution (Larson et al, 2019). However, the main aim is to substitute gasoline and diesel vehicles that pollute the air and add noise in cities causing more trouble. Engine used on an electric car has nothing to do with oils; they are also smaller than traditional engines. Additionally, it is used to make another car when it gets old, this solves the wastage aspect (Larson et al, 2019). Electric cars lower the level of environmental damage that leads to global warming since their engines have nothing to do with oil.

Electric cars provide cost-saving over gasoline cars because they have less equipment in their engine to maintain. There are no spark plugs, radiators, transmissions, oil and fuel filters, exhausts, and other gasoline-specific components that traditional gasoline cars require. This is a result of the cost of fuel that is done away with hence consumers save on the money that would have been used to buy gasoline (Larson et al, 2019). The globe still has to make a sustainable solution over having electric cars since they will only eliminate a small portion of global pollution. Furthermore, individuals are not willing to change from gasoline cars to electric cars despite the high consumption rate of fueled cars due to the associated cost of installing charging systems and other necessities. In a nutshell, electric cars can reduce the rate of environmental pollution however, they do not lead to zero emissions of harmful gases and other substances due to the production of electricity that contributes to pollution. Additionally, cost related to the shift of the entire electric system that requires emissions to be met.

References

Eftekhari, A. (2019). Lithium batteries for electric vehicles: from economy to research strategy.

Harper, G., Sommerville, R., Kendrick, E., Driscoll, L., Slater, P., Stolkin, R., ... & Abbott, A. (2019). Recycling lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles. Nature, 575(7781), 75-86.

Liao, F., Molin, E., & van Wee, B. (2017). Consumer preferences for electric vehicles: a literature review. Transport Reviews, 37(3), 252-275.

Li, W., Long, R., Chen, H., & Geng, J. (2017). A review of factors influencing consumer intentions to adopt battery electric vehicles. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 78, 318-328.

Nykvist, B., Sprei, F., & Nilsson, M. (2019). Assessing the progress toward lower priced long range battery electric vehicles. Energy policy, 124, 144-155.

Shi, X., Pan, J., Wang, H., & Cai, H. (2019). Battery electric vehicles: What is the minimum range required?. Energy, 166, 352-358.

Wang, T., Luo, H., Zeng, X., Yu, Z., Liu, A., & Sangaiah, A. K. (2020). Mobility based trust evaluation for heterogeneous electric vehicles network in smart cities. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems.

Zeng, X., Li, M., Abd El‐Hady, D., Alshitari, W., Al‐Bogami, A. S., Lu, J., & Amine, K. (2019). Commercialization of lithium battery technologies for electric vehicles. Advanced Energy Materials, 9(27), 1900161.

Larson, P. D., Viáfara, J., Parsons, R. V., & Elias, A. (2019). Consumer attitudes about electric cars: Pricing analysis and policy implications. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 69, 299-314.

Lave, L. B., Hendrickson, C. T., & McMichael, F. C. (2017). Environmental implications of electric cars. Science, 268(5213), 993-995.