That Forbes article sort of skips over the problems with recycling. Sure, engineers are working on improving the process, but as of now, that is a goal and a hope.
“Most of the batteries that do get recycled undergo a high-temperature melting-and-extraction, or smelting, process similar to ones used in the mining industry. Those operations, which are carried out in large commercial facilities—for example, in Asia, Europe, and Canada—are energy intensive. The plants are also costly to build and operate and require sophisticated equipment to treat harmful emissions generated by the smelting process. And despite the high costs, these plants don’t recover all valuable battery materials.”
A basic problem with electric cars is that they would require a major increase in the capacity of the electric grid. California is already running into trouble during heat waves when heat, smoke, and light winds combine to increase air-conditions loads and reduce solar and wind output. The problem will get far worse as fossil generating plants are retired.
Yes that is still an issue, but I was providing real world evidence that these batteries are not wearing out as fast as EV makers originally thought they would.
And by the time the bulk of them do, hopefully we have improved recycling.
At any rate, I do not believe EVs are the end all be all. In the end, they are two ton vehicles carrying around one person most of the time.
Ev’s still run in fossil fuels…what do you people think makes electricity.
The natural resources for the products that make all the pieces that make the EV run all come from China.
Why should I allow myself to get pushed into something I don’t want that just runs on a different kind of fossil fuels and puts us even deeper in debt to China?
That stupid idiot should try bribing Texas and send an emissary to North Dakota. American oil is produced in a way more environmentally friendly manner than Venezuelan…
Public policy made to satisfy the climate change green new deal lie is bad public policy.
You and I are both old enough we’ve been listening to klimate kooks tell us about the next calamity our whole lives. The next calamity never happens.
This country runs on oil. If someone wants an EV and can afford it that should be their choice…but don’t claim you are somehow saving the planet. That electricity came from somewhere. And stop trying to force us all to drive those things.
Someday…maybe someday soon we’ll be ready for some new fuel alternative…but until then we’d best recognize that oil, gas, diesel…fossil fuels run this country and this planet and that we in America are positioned to produce a massive amount of those products for the next century or more. Giving up that power, those jobs, and the fact that we produce those fuels more cleanly than the rest of the world is stupid.
Feel free to keep playing the Saudi game then. I like making money and having low overhead costs. Electrifying vehicle fleets are a priority amongst others who like that too.
We aren’t the ones who took a country that was an energy exporter and sent it begging to the Saudi’s and the Venezuelans. I was just reading a report that we’ve got billions of barrels of oil under our feet…
The green energy freaks are the ones playing the Saudi game.
You want a battery operated truck…go for it it’s a free country. It still takes fossil fuels to charge the damn thing.
Yay this will lead to another surge in gas prices.
I was just getting used to paying 3.80 for 93 octane.
Thank the makers my Civic Si gets 42 mpg when I’m being careful with it. Feel bad for my coworkers though. Most of them are in full size or mid-size trucks and SUVs that barely crack 20.
Ya know for a group of people (the left) who claim to love the poor… they sure do love policies that help ensure that the poor’s lives will suck.
I’m big on EVs. But I’m still a driver. I love to drive. I love to squeeze performance out of my car.
It keeps me sane and has gotten me through some real depressing times in my life. I’d hate not to have the possibility of taking a nice 15 mile night drive on some backroads to clean my mind out.
