Africa Automotive March-April digital issue 2023

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EV MarketMarch-April issue l 2023Electric carsare not driving towardsthe futureBy Avery WongElectric-powered cars are not on the road to arenewable and clean future. They are poweredby lithium-ion batteries that will pose a realthreat to the environment if continued to bemanufactured at the rate of current gasoline-poweredcars.According to a Forbes report, various car brands suchas Honda will phase out all gas cars by 2040, replacingthem with electric ones. While the daily use of electricvehicles is proven to be greener than gasoline and fossilfuel combustion, it does not excuse the dangers of massproducing them.Electric car batteries use lithium cobalt oxide to extractlithium ions which creates a charge. Creating thesebatteries involve mining for lithium, and according toUL Research Institutes, the open-pit mining techniquereleases dust which can contaminate the air and water,posing a health risk for humans and animals.Mining itself causes soil erosion and disruption tothe surrounding habitats. This, in addition to the toxicchemicals used to process lithium, becomes an extremedanger to many ecosystems. On a small scale, theseissues seem relatively insignificant compared to theeffects of fossil fuels; but considering the numberof cars required to satisfy the human population, itwouldn’t take long before the risks begin to outnumberthe benefits. According to the European AutomobileManufacturers Association, around 79.1 million motorbasedvehicles were made in 2021 alone.According to the National Academies Press (NAP),electric-powered vehicles will pose an economicthreat as well. Manufacturing lithium-ion batteriesare very costly, at around $125 per kilowatt hour, andthe average electric vehicle costs about $60,000. Notonly is manufacturing electric cars expensive, butas car manufacturers progress towards electric-onlyproduction, it becomes inconvenient for buyers as wellwho cannot afford them. Living sustainably should notcome at such a heavy cost for consumers.Beyond the production of electric car batteriesbeing dangerous, the disposal of them is as well.These batteries are extremely flammable, and whensubstances like these end up in regular landfill areasand are not stored properly, they can combust.When lithium batteries are properly disposed of, theyare considered E-Waste. E-Waste has become a globalissue over the years, and the build-up poses majorhealth risks for humans. According to the World HealthOrganization (WHO), E-Waste exposure has been provento cause harmful birth defects as well as lung and DNAdamage.But if electric cars are actually unsustainable, and gasvehicles are out of the picture, what’s the solution?Although it wouldn’t be an immediate fix, fundingand research need to go towards the development ofnuclear-powered vehicles.With the recent breakthrough discovery of nuclearfusion, new doors of opportunity are opening for azero-carbon-emission power source. Fusion works bybonding two hydrogen atoms together to create acollision that generates energy. That energy has thepotential to power vehicles, which would revolutionizethe environmental technology industry.According to a source from the Washington Post,nuclear fusion is very sustainable since it relies on30 Africa Automotive News l 2023 2022
March-April issue l 2023EV Markethydrogen atoms, which are the most abundant atomin the universe. In terms of the waste and disposal of apotential nuclear-powered battery, the fusion processdoes not create radioactive toxins, marking it a safeoption.The reality of creating an environmentally friendlyvehicle is that there will never be one perfect solution.Nuclear fusion will take years to be ready for everydayhuman usage, but with the proper testing and research,it poses a significantly better alternative to gas andelectricity-powered cars.While electric vehicles are a huge step forward toreducing carbon footprints, it is just as important toacknowledge that they are not a permanent solution.Despite what the media advertises, electric cars arenot the world’s next “big thing,” and will not lead to acompletely green future.Rather than contaminating the Earth with lithiummining and disposal, vehicle manufacturers andscientists should be focused on the further future, wherecars are made to be truly sustainable.Image: Avery WongSince its first launch in 2008, Tesla has swerved the car manufacturing industry towards electric power. | Image: Avery WongAfrica Automotive News l 2023 31
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