Quite true, Lothar.
But... zero emissions surrounding EVs is still a load of bullshit. The vehicles themselves may not emit harmful/toxic gases, but there's still the micro-particle issue from tyres, brakes etc. Because these components rely on friction to work as intended, there will be wear in some form, emitting particles that are difficult to manage. I've read somewhere the reason for quite a few car manufacturers reverting to rear drum brakes in less powerful vehicles is entirely for this! They are apparently better sealed than previous systems and therefore collect and hold more dust, making maintenance again more complicated (read expensive!) because strict work and safety rules have been imposed. Imho, the only way around the micro-particle issue is less vehicles on the road... pretty unpopular, I know.
During production, EVs require immense amounts of energy. Due to the extensive use of aluminium alloys, far more than for conventional IC vehicles. Electricity is the major contributor in the production of aluminium. If that energy comes solely from conventional coal powerplants, the initial carbon footprint for each individual vehicle starts off pretty huge. The extensive use of plastics still relies primarily on dinosaur juice, refining that for the waste products that eventually yield the required plastics also causes several thousand (million?) tons of CO2 emissions worldwide. Even if the majority of the energy required came from sustainables as wind or solar, the production of those systems also requires loads of energy to begin with. Zero emissions is a very difficult goal to achieve. The question remains, from which point do we start counting emissions?
piet
But... zero emissions surrounding EVs is still a load of bullshit. The vehicles themselves may not emit harmful/toxic gases, but there's still the micro-particle issue from tyres, brakes etc. Because these components rely on friction to work as intended, there will be wear in some form, emitting particles that are difficult to manage. I've read somewhere the reason for quite a few car manufacturers reverting to rear drum brakes in less powerful vehicles is entirely for this! They are apparently better sealed than previous systems and therefore collect and hold more dust, making maintenance again more complicated (read expensive!) because strict work and safety rules have been imposed. Imho, the only way around the micro-particle issue is less vehicles on the road... pretty unpopular, I know.
During production, EVs require immense amounts of energy. Due to the extensive use of aluminium alloys, far more than for conventional IC vehicles. Electricity is the major contributor in the production of aluminium. If that energy comes solely from conventional coal powerplants, the initial carbon footprint for each individual vehicle starts off pretty huge. The extensive use of plastics still relies primarily on dinosaur juice, refining that for the waste products that eventually yield the required plastics also causes several thousand (million?) tons of CO2 emissions worldwide. Even if the majority of the energy required came from sustainables as wind or solar, the production of those systems also requires loads of energy to begin with. Zero emissions is a very difficult goal to achieve. The question remains, from which point do we start counting emissions?
piet
