What Is the Environmental Cost of an EV?
April 17, 2023 11:03 am ET Tesla electric vehicles charge at a supercharger station in Hawthorne, Calif., Sept. 12, 2022. Photo: caroline brehman/Shutterstock Daniel Yergin’s op-ed “‘Net Zero’ Will Mean a Mining Boom” (April 13) leaves me wondering, once again, if anyone in the administration will ever publish a cradle-to-grave cost-benefit environmental analysis of electric vehicles, as compared with gas-powered vehicles. As a retired automotive executive, I am certain we have a good understanding of the components for manufacturing “fossil-fuel vehicles,” and I am equally certain we don’t fully understand the costs of manufacturing EVs. One gets the sense that the outcome has been predetermined, but the strategic plan to get there is evolving on the go. Examples of questions consumers might have include: What is the total environmental benefit of driving e
Tesla electric vehicles charge at a supercharger station in Hawthorne, Calif., Sept. 12, 2022.
Photo: caroline brehman/Shutterstock
Daniel Yergin’s op-ed “‘Net Zero’ Will Mean a Mining Boom” (April 13) leaves me wondering, once again, if anyone in the administration will ever publish a cradle-to-grave cost-benefit environmental analysis of electric vehicles, as compared with gas-powered vehicles. As a retired automotive executive, I am certain we have a good understanding of the components for manufacturing “fossil-fuel vehicles,” and I am equally certain we don’t fully understand the costs of manufacturing EVs. One gets the sense that the outcome has been predetermined, but the strategic plan to get there is evolving on the go.
Examples of questions consumers might have include: What is the total environmental benefit of driving electric vehicles, once electricity generation, mining operations and battery production and disposal have been included? What are the plans to more than double the supply of copper over the next 12 years, if the U.S. follows California’s lead and attempts to sell only EVs by 2035? Since 47% of copper is now smelted in China, what are the plans to obtain smelted copper elsewhere should China become unfriendly? Similar question for lithium, for which China processes 60% of the world’s supply. What is the plan to increase electricity generation and strengthen the electric grid to accommodate the multifold increase in future demand?
It would be nice to hear answers.
Richard Abell
North Venice, Fla.
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