Electric Propulsion Reality Check

pnichols wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Mex,

Not quite what you asked--but still worth thinking about:

"On average, a conventional car creates more the twice as much carbon pollution as an electric car. Even in the state that gets almost all of its electricity from burning coal, an EV still pollutes less than a typical conventional car. Assuming a 10 year useful life, an average conventional car will spew out 66,000 pounds more carbon pollution than an average electric vehicle. That’s 33 tons, folks."

This is included the co2 from manufacturing the vehicle.

In making comparisons like this, IMHO it's best to compare the two all the way: Be sure to consider the carbon footprint to dispose of each type of vehicle and all of it's component parts.

The rosy picture may change then ... not sure, though. ;)

It’s a good point and probably a little early to tell. The car itself would be recycled the same way as an ice. Chassis, frame, tires, 12 volt battery etc. But the traction battery and motors would be dealt with differently. The electric motors would be harvested for their copper and permanent magnets as they are now. For the traction batteries we’ll probably have to wait 2 or 3 decades. Right now they are repurposed to various storage roles when they leave their car life. But eventually it looks like the aluminum, nickel, lithium etc will be separated and processed. There are a few companies getting into this now. It will be interesting to see that technology develop.