Is EV Really The Greener Option?
We often hear that the transition to using Electric Vehicle (EV) will be much more nature-friendly and cause less damage to our mother earth. However, studies are showing the underlying effect of using an EV despite it giving off 0% tailpipe emission.
Why do they suggest to use an EV
EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions, reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This means that they do not emit pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) directly into the atmosphere, which contribute to air pollution and health problems.
This helps combat climate change and improves air quality, particularly in urban areas such as Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, and Penang where pollution from vehicles is a significant concern. By using electricity as a fuel source, EVs decrease reliance on finite fossil fuels, which are subject to price fluctuations and geopolitical conflicts. This also contributes to energy independence and security.
Air pollution issue in Malaysia
According to a report from IQair on 2023 World Air Quality, Malaysia is ranked 38th in average PM2.5 concentration (µg/m3) for countries, regions, and territories in descending order out of 134 countries. IQair is the world's largest free real-time air quality information platform and engages an ever-growing number of global citizens, organizations, and governments.
IQair mentioned that there are significant risks to Malaysia's air quality from vehicle emissions, fast industrial development, and slash-and-burn agriculture (both domestically and internationally through transboundary smoke).
To reduce vehicle air pollution, Malaysia's Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change (NRECC) is supporting low-carbon transportation initiatives, such as the conversion of buses to run on biodiesel. Additionally, by installing 885,000 electric vehicles by 2030, the nation hopes to lower transportation pollution.
So, is EV really the solution?
Many believe that the suggestion of using an EV is a good idea as it produces fewer greenhouse emissions. However, there are studies that have found that EV pollutes more compared to normal ICE vehicles.
According to a study from Emission Analytics, EV tyres, and brakes emit 1,850 times more particle pollution than do contemporary tailpipes with "efficient" exhaust filters, which lower the emissions of gas-powered cars to a new low. They also state that light-duty tyres, which are often composed of synthetic rubber derived from crude oil and various fillers and additives, disintegrate and produce airborne pollutants when heavy cars drive on them.
On average EVs are approximately 30% heavier than common combustion cars, therefore the brakes and tires on EVs wear out faster than on standard cars especially if you are an aggressive driver. The tyre wear emissions are more than 400 times higher than the direct exhaust particulate emissions.
Other than that, EV is powered by lithium-ion batteries and thus need intense manufacturing to cater to the market needs. Large amounts of water are needed for the mining of lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which can also result in toxic waste. In the manufacturing process, very high temperatures are achieved by heating the raw minerals using fossil fuels.
Based on the Climate Portal, between 2.5 and 16 metric tonnes of CO2 are produced during the construction of the 80 kWh lithium-ion battery found in a Tesla Model 3 (the precise amount depends largely on what energy source is used to accomplish the heating). Creating a new electric vehicle (EV) can result in around 80% higher emissions than creating a similar gas-powered vehicle due to the extensive manufacture of batteries.
How to cater this issue
