Environmental Benefits of EVS Driving a Global Revolution

There is growing optimism in the environmental community that recent advances in battery technology will accelerate electric vehicle adoption, dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emission from the transportation sector. The innovations will bring down sticker prices, increase range, and speed up remote charging, removing the remaining obstacles to consumer acceptance. The nations of the world are quickly recognizing the feasibility of state-of-the-art EVS and are working proactively to hasten EV adoption.

The fundamental environmental benefits of EVS are undeniable. Simple, dependable electric powertrains provide smooth, brisk acceleration using efficient electric motors paired with ample rechargeable batteries. Electric motors are far more frugal than internal combustion engines, making much better use of their fuel to produce automotive force. EVS also recapture wasted energy using regenerative braking and expend no energy as they idle. The superior efficiency of EVS is reflected in their MPGE ratings, which are far higher than their MPG counterparts. Both statistics are comparable, describing how far a vehicle can travel on a given quantity of energy. There is no ICE vehicle or hybrid that can match the superb efficiency of a modern EV.

While there are upstream emissions that occur to produce the electricity used to refill batteries, high EV efficiency provides a net emissions savings. The benefit will only increase moving forward. The transition to EVS will take place while our grids are being decarbonized and upgraded. The simultaneous industrial transformations will provide the bulk of their environmental benefits after they have been completed. EVS being manufactured today may live to see the day when our grids provide clean electricity for recharging, dropping their upstream emissions to zero. It is this unique capability that is driving the global EV revolution. EVS have the potential to eliminate an entire class of greenhouse gas emissions, not just reduce them.

The gradual transition away from internal combustion engines will not be easy. We will need to steadily produce more electricity to fuel the rising number of EVS at the same time we are struggling to increase the use of renewable energy sources. The capital investments needed to ramp up EV manufacturing are staggering, and extracting an adequate supply of raw materials for battery production will be difficult. Charging infrastructure also needs to be put in place as quickly as possible. We will want to address valid environmental and societal concerns related to battery production and recycling. None of these surmountable drawbacks outweigh the enormous benefits of EVS, and the world is responding accordingly.

There is still a fair amount of reluctance to recognize the feasibility of widespread electrification. Early electric vehicles had very limited range, charging was slow, and EVS were typically quite expensive. Negative attitudes became well established during this early phase of EV development. But there is now growing awareness about the vastly improved capabilities of today’s EVS, and a new generation of superior batteries is about to make them even better, and more affordable.

Automakers welcome the growing optimism that is driving the global EV revolution. The relentless innovation of automotive engineers brought about this victory for our environment, and their perseverance should be celebrated as we transform our national fleet. The outlook for eliminating auto emissions has never looked brighter.