Today we mark the 51st annual celebration of Earth Day. On April 22, 1970, Wisconsin Senator Nelson issued a call to action, and 20 million people across the biggest cities of the U.S mobilised their communities to spread awareness towards the first Earth Day, which is now recognised in 190 countries worldwide.
It took almost two decades for the government to realise the drastic impact of pollution on our planet and nature and its hazardous consequences. And thus, they finally passed energy and clean air regulations, and with that, the first green step was taken by GM and Toyota, who released the first electric vehicle in the 1990s. And in 2008, Tesla Roadster made its debut, propelling the mobility industry towards the Utilisation of Lithium-ion Batteries in EVs.
Due to manufacturing efficiencies and increasing demand in 2010, EV battery prices dropped dramatically as more automobile manufacturers started taking an interest in developing long-range electric vehicles.
Over the past few years, EV’s ongoing demand and technological advancement has created more competition, giving consumers more choices. Now that we have known the era and evolution of EVs, let’s learn the advantages of EVs on nature over traditional combustion vehicles.
Adopting EVs prove more eco-friendly as it offers reduced CO2 emission, but still more work is needed in this direction for the world to accept and embrace EVs completely. In 2020, an exclusive survey by Dimensional Research asked the auto industry experts to find out the top reason behind slow EV adoption. In the survey, 49% showed battery concerns, and 47% said battery performance is poor.
In 2019, the global EV market reached to a point where more than two million vehicles were sold worldwide, as per the report by McKinsey. Despite the macro-economic crisis during COVD-19, the statement by McKinsey states the global EV market is surprisingly resilient.
The best part among all is the evolution and awareness toward environment-friendly, and future-forward electric vehicle is changing the air of the planet and contributing to a cleaner and green future.
Making life electric- helping build an electric future
Earth day portrays environmental stewardship, among other valued topics of sustainability. So here, let’s discuss the benefits of electric vehicles on the environment. How EVs are moving one step closer to a cleaner, safer and smarter future and changing the transportation ecosystem.
Benefits of electric vehicles on the environment- Earth day special
As per research, electric vehicles are better for the environment. They emit fewer greenhouse gases and reduce pollution, which is done more in combustion vehicles. Here are a few points which answer your doubts.
Improving air quality
“What will your children breathe?”
Battery car manufacturing takes a lot of energy; even after battery manufacturing is taken into account, it is way greener and safer for the planet. This is because of the reduction in emissions created by cars over a lifetime. Though the emission created during EV production tends to be higher than conventional vehicles. This happens due to the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, which is an essential element of electric vehicles. Resuing and recycling batteries are growing the market. Research is done to reuse second-hand batteries and reuse them to store electricity. Opportunities like this reduce the lifetime environmental impact of battery manufacturing. Thus electric vehicles proves a solution for air pollution in India.
Zero tailpipe emission
The most significant benefit of making an EV an asset is that it runs on electricity that emits zero tailpipe emissions. Compared to combustion vehicles, electric cars are far better in terms of emission. With more technological advancement and research in automobiles and batteries, the battery usage to store energy will make mobility more sustainable. Thus it will reduce the extraction of new materials and reduce mining dependencies for producing newer batteries.
The clean air is making netizens breathe fresh air and avoid poisonous gases. It makes EVs much more eco-friendly, and thus it is leaving a great environmental change on the planet.
Curtailing noise pollution
EV motors are generally very quiet, particularly compared to ICE engines and their exhaust system. The EV generate less noise pollution.
Save fossil fuel
“To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.”
Wendell Berry
There are many ways through which we can generate electricity quickly. EV converts over 77% of the electrical energy from the grid to power at the wheels. On the other hand, gasoline vehicles only convert about 12-30% of the energy stored in gasoline to power at the wheels. To generate electricity, we can use different renewable resources such as solar energy, wind energy, hydropower or tidal energy. Minimum dependency on fossil fuels will reduce carbon emissions and thus affect the environment in many ways.
The best part about EVs is that even brakes have regenerative braking, which allows the car to charge the battery while braking. This helps the car-renew some wasted energy back into the battery. The electric vehicle charging stations are also designed sustainably to keep environment safe. For electricity solar energy can be used which is cheaper to generate and gives maximum benefits. Learn about the sustainable EV charging infrastructure solution here – how to set up an EV charging station?
Fewer Particulates
The ICE vehicles emit a large number of harmful particle pollutants. The emission of these particles have grave health consequences like asthma, heart attacks, cancer and many other diseases. The electric vehicle, in the meantime, emits clean air.
Environmentally friendly cars will soon cease to be an option…they will become a necessity.
Fujio Cho, President of Toyota Motors
Conclusion
Over the ICE vehicles, the EVs are proving best for the environment and health of all living beings on our planet. Zero emissions and fewer carbon footprints make our Earth a green and better place to live. Protect us from severe consequences and calamities. It’s high time now that we take a pledge to save our planet by every means. Our small step towards sustainability can ensure us a better and healthy future. Let’s invest in our planet and celebrate the tremendous progress we have made in sustainable transportation on this Earth Day. Adopt sustainable means of transportation and save planet by working together towards a cleaner, safer and greener automotive future.
