As the world is moving towards fully electric vehicles we are slowly but certainly seeing the death of the manual transmission and the internal combustion engine. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are a set of standards for a company’s operations that socially conscious.
Let's take a look at the pros and cons of the transformation from gasoline to electric.
Electric vehicles produce no pollution. False! Let's take a look at the amount of pollution produced in lithium mining. 500,000 gallons (about 2 million liters) of water are required to produce a metric ton of lithium. As well toxic chemicals leaking from mining operations are killing fish and wildlife. Then what happens when the lithium batteries have reached the end of life? Roughly only two percent of lithium-ion waste is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, where metals from the electrodes and ionic fluids from the electrolyte can leak into the environment. The link below has a wonderful article in plain English, a must read.
https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/renewable/the-environmental-impact-of-lithium-batteries/
Our current option of fossil fuels isn't much better. Off-shore oil spills are destroying marine life, pollution from vehicles and buildings are poisoning our air and destroying the earth's ozone resulting in global warming.
I do believe electric cars are the lesser of two evils but don't let the media spin the zero emmission idea on you. Yes when the vehicle is being driven there is zero emmissions produced. Pollution is produced in the creation of the batteries, steel, aluminum, rubber and finally in the disposal of the batteries. Don't forget the pollution created by your elecricity company (coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear waste) that is required to produce the electricity that charges our "zero emmissions" vehicle.
I'm sure as technology evolves humanity will find new ways to recycle more and more of the lithium.
With the introduction of electric vehicles we as drivers are losing our freedom. What do I mean by that? I myself drive a manual transmission vehicle. No ON STAR, no Tesla software over the air software upgrading. Let me elaborate, you are being tracked! If both GM and Tesla have the ability to access the software on your vehicle remotely does this not limit your freedom? Most car companies nowadays can lock and unlock your doors for you when you get locked out...but can they not lock you in as well? If they control the software on your vehicle do they not have your exact location, speed, and overide access. Yes it's sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it's reality and we are there now.
Why are insurance companies letting you save 20% on your car insurance premium? You are being tracked, they will ask you to have an app on your phone or keep a "box" in your car to save that wonderful 20% on your premium. They will and are tracking your speed, the distance you drive every day, your location, where you stop to shop, etc. Google and Apple do this anyways you say, but at least they give you the option to disable your GPS location.
Not all is not negative, if your vehicle is stolen they can remotely deactivate the electric motor (notice I did not use engine) and lock the thief in the vehicle till the authorities arrive.
https://www.tesla.com/en_CA/support/software-updates
Battery of a Tesla Model S has about 12 kilograms of lithium in it!
*Tesla picture from wikipedia.org
In conclusion as a society we are going in the right direction but just like the beginning of the industrial revolution it does some take time for society to get it right. Maybe one day I will buy an EV but for now I will hold on to my manual transmisssion vehicle for as long as I can.
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