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Electric cars cause less damage than combustion engines
Photo: martin-dm / Getty Images
The production of electric cars is energy-intensive. In most cases it still requires substances such as cobalt, nickel and rare earths, the mining of which can cause major environmental damage. And the electricity that electric cars use currently only comes partly from renewable energies. Critics therefore repeatedly question whether electric cars are really more environmentally and climate-friendly than combustion engines.
A study commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency once again dispels these doubts - and provides new figures. According to the results, electric cars registered in 2020 are around 40 percent less harmful to the climate than cars with gasoline engines. By 2030, based on the expansion of renewable energies, an increase to up to 55 percent less climate damage is possible.
For the study, the Heidelberg Institute for Energy and Environmental Research not only examined the operation of the vehicles, but also their overall balance - including the manufacturing process, for example. In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, the scientists took into account energy, resource and water consumption as well as pollutant emissions in air, water and soil.
With a rapid expansion of renewable electricity generation, this climate advantage will increase, the UBA announced on Thursday. Overall, the battery-electric vehicle concepts are superior for all vehicle types and years in terms of greenhouse effect and cumulative energy consumption, according to the report.
According to the analysis, there are still disadvantages for some environmental impacts for electric cars registered in 2020. This is particularly true with regard to the input of nutrients into the water and the acidification of the soil. It is expected that electric cars will not be ahead of those with combustion engines in all areas examined until 2050.
The UBA said that the increasing demand for some critical raw materials such as cobalt, nickel and lithium could be met in the future with more recycling. The EU sets specific requirements for the recycling of critical battery raw materials in its battery regulation. From 2026 onwards, around 90 percent of the cobalt used will be recycled.
According to the UBA, an incentive for more electromobility in Germany could be provided by a vehicle tax that provides for a surcharge for high CO₂ emissions in the first year of registration. "This could be significantly more effective than the forgone purchase premium." However, factors such as avoidance, relocation and improvement remain important, according to the Federal Environment Agency: "Every journey avoided saves electricity or fuel and protects people and the environment."
fzs/dpa-AFX