Almost all global automakers have announced plans to produce and sell electric cars, but none of them say how their production will affect the environment or what problems await car owners in 10-20 years.
The first electric car appeared in 1828, almost sixty years before the car with an internal combustion engine, but the history of the modern electric car began only in 2007. The continuous rise in oil prices has forced automakers to think about the deployment of industrial production of electric cars. Today, every automaker has at least one all-electric model in its lineup. Someone has succeeded in this field, someone is still inventing their own electric car, but already by 2025, we will have a real electric boom and some problems, which so far prefer to keep quiet.
The first is production on several continents and difficult delivery conditions.
Most corporations locate production sites on other continents closer to markets to reduce costs. Furthermore, the manufacture of components and automotive parts is typically scattered throughout multiple organizations, from whence they are sent to assembly factories. Only luxury companies or major manufacturers with high production volumes can develop cars without regard for final costs.
When the first hybrid cars came on the market, they were criticized for using nickel-metal hydride batteries. The materials for making them were mined in mines in remote parts of the world and then shipped to battery factories on the other side of the planet. Finished batteries were sent to car manufacturers, which was reflected in the cost of production and, consequently, in the product’s final price.
The situation for electric cars has not changed dramatically, except that automakers have begun to manufacture batteries in-house. However, this does not exclude the extraction and transportation of expensive and rare metals over long distances from the production chain.
The second is the rare metals and their cost.
Most modern electric cars use lithium-ion batteries, but lithium is becoming more expensive every day because its resources are limited. This is what affects the cost of electric vehicles. The world’s largest supplier of lithium in Australia. Chile, Argentina, China, and Zimbabwe are among the top five lithium suppliers according to the research papers writers and scientists used in 2015 data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
But lithium is not the only rare material used in electric cars. For example, neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium are used in electric motors. Mining these metals has a negative impact on the environment.
The third problem is battery recycling.
The real boom in electric cars is predicted to be in 2025. By 2045, the batteries in all of these cars will have reached the end of their useful life, and there will be a question of recycling them. However, the recycling market is not yet ready. There is no facility for recycling lithium on such a scale. Toyota has its own recycling program for used batteries. It includes reusing Toyota Prius batteries to make the hybrid truly environmentally friendly.
Fourth, electric motor repairs.
There is a myth that electric cars are easy to use, and the biggest problem for the owner can be a flat tire or a blown bulb. But this is far from being the case. For example, problems with the transmission can cost the owner a lot of money. In addition, no service center knows how to fix car-grade electric motors, and most simply don’t have the necessary tools to do so. The only thing they can do is politely send you to the dealer.
Fifth, long-distance travel.
Electric cars will take many years to reach a “comfortable” range on a single charge. Car owners need to be confident that their vehicles can handle off-roading and travel long distances. No one wants to get stuck in the middle of the woods and wait helplessly for a passing car or tow truck. Another reason for not getting to your final destination can be the banal lack of charging infrastructure. The same applies to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, requiring a complex system and refueling procedure.
Sixth – pollution from power plants
The main advantage of electric cars and hydrogen cars is considered to be the absence of exhaust fumes. But by and large, this is not true because the energy they consume comes mainly from non-renewable sources. The governments of most countries are focused on green energy, but the amount of it produced is still minuscule. And what about the emissions from thermal power plants and the danger posed by the “peaceful atom. The same applies to large-scale hydrogen production, producing carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
Theoretically, it is possible to solve these problems, but this requires enormous resources and, of course, the demand for electric and hydrogen-powered cars.