My worse nightmare. The simplest way to define EV is – a vehicle driven by an electric motor powered electrically by a battery on-board. Most of the mainstream EVs’ power is channelled via a single speed transmission, so gear changes of any sort are also absent. So simple recipe, right? Just charge, sit, accelerate-break-steer. Yes, it is indeed simple from a user’s perspective, but it does come with its share of flies in the ointment.
First up – range and charging infrastructure limitations, about which everyone talks and is byword. One is just limited to city confines with most mainstream EVs having a real-world range in the 200 km ballpark. One ought to have a premises of their own equipped with the most basic charging point in the charging hierarchy at the least. If one intends to do long distances on a regular basis then an EV cannot be the only vehicle in the garage because our highways don’t have public charging stations at an average of every 200 kms.
Secondly, the very important point which the automotive fraternity and authorities hardly talk about – SUSTAINABLE DISPOSAL OF THE HUGE PILE OF DEFUNCT LITHION ION BATTERIES. Take my word for it, it is a humungous yet unaddressed issue. Go back to the era when we had mobile phones with self-removable batteries. Remember those batteries would have trash bin crossed symbol on them — implying the user is not entitled or authorised to self-disposal into conventional bins, because lithium ion is a highly toxic substance and its disposal is a professional task. Did we see the implementation of it? The answer is a resounding and jarring NO. Those batteries were a miniscule quantity when compared to tonnes of defunct lithium-ion batteries EVs would generate and yet there is little discourse on it.
Thirdly, comes the “Green” chip on the shoulder it comes with. There’s a huge hullaballoo about the green environmental credentials associated with it. Is it really green? Let’s look at some facts first;
1. An EV leaves more carbon footprint in its production process itself compared to what an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) counterpart would generate in its entire lifetime. Beat that!
2. The self-proclaimed green warriors would argue that at least running an EV is entirely green, right? Sorry, Team green, you recharge your batteries with electricity which is generated by another fossil fuel (coal), so ultimately you are still leaving behind carbon footprint. I would have given you the green-running credentials if you used wind, hydel or any other renewable source of energy.
3. Cobalt – a very important mineral which is indispensable in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries. Cobalt reserves are found in abundance in African countries like Congo and Madagascar contributing a major chunk. It had been a non-issue, if the extraction was being done ethically and sustainably. The cheap labour in these poor countries is exploited to the core, and the damage caused to the environment for its extraction is a hushed topic still. Profiteering lobbies make sure these issues don’t come to light.
So, are EVs really the sustainable future especially in a country like ours? Are we ready? Simple answer is – NOT YET. Footnote of a driving and car enthusiast. There’s romance in the gradual and measured build-up of torque and power, as the analogue rev needle climbs and peaks at a specific rpm of the ICE and all the various ‘mechanical noises’ which it produces in the process is music to the ears, unlike the ‘whining’ of the electric motor. The symphony created by the orchestra of an ICE car is unsurpassed. From the diminuendo at idle to crescendo at the redline — that is pure, unadulterated joy
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