Electric truck - tow vehicle of future ?

Acdii wrote:
Drawbacks of Lithium batteries used.


Dozens of reports are available on the ecological impact of lithium mining. Unfortunately, many of them are influenced by the perspective of the organizations or authors releasing them. Reducing the available information to studies carried out by government bodies and research institutes around the world, a picture emerges nonetheless:

Elemental lithium is flammable and very reactive. In nature, lithium occurs in compounded forms such as lithium carbonate requiring chemical processing to be made usable.
Lithium is typically found in salt flats in areas where water is scarce. The mining process of lithium uses large amounts of water. Therefore, on top of water contamination as a result of its use, depletion or transportation costs are issues to be dealt with. Depletion results in less available water for local populations, flora and fauna.
Toxic chemicals are used for leaching purposes, chemicals requiring waste treatment. There are widespread concerns of improper handling and spills, like in other mining operations around the world.
The recovery rate of lithium ion batteries, even in first world countries, is in the single digit percent range. Most batteries end up in landfill.
In a 2013 report, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) points out that nickel and cobalt, both also used in the production of lithium ion batteries, represent significant additional environmental risks.

A 2012 study titled “Science for Environment Policy” published by the European Union compares lithium ion batteries to other types of batteries available (lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride and sodium sulphur). It concludes that lithium ion batteries have the largest impact on metal depletion, suggesting that recycling is complicated. Lithium ion batteries are also, together with nickel-metal-hydride batteries, the most energy consuming technologies using the equivalent of 1.6kg of oil per kg of battery produced. They also ranked the worst in greenhouse gas emissions with up to 12.5kg of CO2 equivalent emitted per kg of battery. The authors do point out that “…for a full understanding of life cycle impacts, further aspects of battery use need to be considered, such as length of usage, performance at different temperatures, and ability to discharge quickly.”

The trouble with plug-in hybrids (and electric cars, too) is that electricity isn't always cleaner than gasoline. More than 45 percent of electricity in the U.S. is generated by coal-powered plants [source: EIA]. According to another Argonne National Laboratory report, if a plug-in hybrid charges from coal-generated electricity, it could be responsible for emitting up to 10 percent more greenhouse gasses than a conventional vehicle and up to 60 percent more than a standard hybrid [source: Elgowainy].

To be the most economical and practical way to use EV, recharging via roadbeds, with electricity produced by wind and solar, maybe some day. Until then, range will be it's holdback. Who would want to drive a short distance, then wait an hour or more to drive another short distance? I have a 700 mile range on my F150 that's getting 21 MPG, which pound for pound is equivalent to most high MPG cars. Compare that to 100 miles per charge, a 10 hour drive would become a 20 hour drive.

I had a prius, yep they do sound like this

Howdy ACDII. I don't know much about the US grid but from what I read it is around 33 percent coal and dropping about a percent per year. Everytime any electric grid gets 1 percent cleaner so do the emmsions of the electric vehicle.

Also, typical recharge time on even an older slower DCFC vehicle is about 20 minutes, not 10 hours. Are you possibly confusing the recharge time with a level 1 or even slow level 2 charge set up. Typically I can put about an 80 percent charge on 2016 in about 20 minutes and its kinda slow at 50KWH. The Tesla superchargers can be as fast as 125KWH so twice as fast. And most of the new crop of EV's have 400 KM of range.

I do agree with you though in that there are still many bridges to cost and problems to solve. But many countries with relatively clean grids get very little power from coal or natural gas.

Your comments were interesting and thought provoking. Thanks for sharing.

John