Driving towards sustainability: The environmental benefits of electric vehicles

The advocacy for sustainability is geared towards achieving environmental health and the safety of the planet. This drive to attain a sustainable world focuses on a number of factors, including energy sources and usage, waste, resource use, and pollution, etc. However, discussions around energy sources and use have assumed global dimensions in the last two decades, as the world strives to tap into cleaner and renewable energy.

As a response to this advocacy, electric vehicles (EVs) are fast becoming a new normal in many parts of the world. The electrification of the road transport industry is one of the most disruptive, with countries like China, the United States, Europe, and even India taking the lead. Although a few continue to contend with the changing tides of road transport and the rising popularity of EVs, it is important to understand what benefits they hold for humans and the environment.

Electric car sales rose by 31% in 2023 to surpass 30 million globally. In India, the push by government and well-meaning individuals and groups is also yielding positive results, with EV sales surpassing 1.5 million units in 2023. This represents a 50% rise in EV sales in the country compared to the previous year, putting India on a trajectory of growth, clean energy, and sustainable development.

EV and the environment

One of the most fundamental benefits of the EV is its eco-friendly nature. For centuries, the combustion engine powered by fossil fuel (petrol or diesel), reigned supreme, triggering respiratory diseases, causing massive depletion of the ozone layer, and generally polluting the environment. With the advent of EV, this is being addressed gradually. This is because electric cars do not have tailpipes which is used by conventional vehicles to exhaust carbon gases. Hence, release of greenhouse gases is reduced significantly.

Furthermore, the production of petroleum products also poses several dangers to the environment, including gas flaring, land and water pollution which destroys wildlife, and so on. Although the mining of cobalt and lithium raise concerns about water use, the devastation that crude oil mining and refining have caused the environment far outweighs that of renewable energy minerals. In fact, it is a known fact that fossil fuels continue to affect the environment throughout its lifecycle, but this is not the case with renewable energy minerals because batteries are clean and safe to use.

There is also the issue of pollution and its impact on humans and animals. Delhi is often considered the most polluted city in the world, in terms of air quality, and many analysts have attributed much of this pollution to carbon emissions from vehicles and factories. When inhaled, this can lead to dire health conditions, especially when fumes are inhaled over a long period of time leading to respiratory diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asphyxia, respiratory tract infections, and rhinosinusitis. EVs can significantly control pollution caused by road transport because of the absence of carbon emissions.

EVs, climate change, and the way forward

One of the world’s biggest concerns today- only next to hunger and conflicts- is climate change. Its consequences are devastating and have led to loss of lives and property. While petrol-powered engines contribute to climate change, EVs are a promising solution the world needs. According to reports, India witnessed extreme weather events almost daily between January and September 2023, with 2,923 deaths, 80,000 homes destroyed, and at least 92,000 animals killed, according to reports. 

This climate crisis characterised by heatwaves, cyclones, and floods, are the accumulated repercussions of centuries of man’s recklessness, including the illicit use of fossil fuels, especially in the transport industry. With a plan to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2070, transitioning to EVs has become a crucial part of India’s efforts to address climate change. There is a need for an improved action towards supporting the manufacture of EVs, the setup and operationalisation of charging stations, as well as empowering more Indians with the resources needed to make the important transition.