Researchers from the Swiss research institute Empa have discovered that the ecological footprint of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles is minimal compared with other sources of power used for vehicles.
The team of Empa’s Technology and Society Laboratory made a detailed life cycle assessment of lithium-ion batteries, specifically of the chemically improved version of those commonly used in electric vehicles.
They took into account all possible relevant factors, from the production of individual parts to scrapping the vehicle and the disposal of the remains.
The study shows that the size of the environmental footprint depends on the power sources used for the electric vehicle. If the power used to charge the battery is not derived from purely renewable energy sources, then it is primarily the operation of the electric car that has an environmental footprint – similar to fossil fueled vehicles.
The battery itself did not affect the life cycle assessment of the electric vehicle as much as the scientists expected. They once thought that manufacturing batteries could negate the advantages of the electric drive system.
The investigation reveals that the electric car’s lithium-ion batteries only have a moderate environmental burden, accounting for only 15 percent at most of the car’s total ecological footprint. Of this figure, around 7.5 percent comes from refining and manufacturing the battery’s raw materials and 2.3 percent comes from the production of lithium.
The greatest ecological impact of the electric vehicles is caused by the regular recharging of the battery, the researchers noted. Recharging with electricity sourced from a mixture of atomic, coal-fired and hydroelectric power stations usually found in Europe results in three times more pollution than from the lithium-ion battery alone.
If the electricity is generated exclusively by coal-fired power plants, then pollution would increase by another 13 percent. However, if the power is purely hydroelectric, the figure would improve by no less than 40 percent.
Thus, even though electric vehicles have a smaller ecological footprint than their petrol counterparts, they can be even more environmentally friendly by using alternative power sources to recharge their batteries.
