Are Electric Cars REALLY Better for the Environment?

We hear it all the time: “Electric cars are better for the planet”. Statements like that have been the foundation of electric car builders like Tesla for over a decade. But is it true? Join Nolan and take a deep dive into the manufacturing process, and see just how much energy goes into building a car. We’re gonna find out if electric rides are better for the Earth once and for all.

Compare Electric Cars and Gasoline Cars emissions: Climobil App

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Donut Media is at the center of digital media for the next generation of automotive and motorsports enthusiasts. We are drivers, drifters, and car enthusiasts who love to tell stories.

[Donut]

Hey guys I felt this was an important video for us to make, and I'm really glad you guys like it. We've covered a lot of different cars on this channel and talked to a lot of owners, and the one thing that unites them all is the desire for MO POWAH BABEH! So no matter how your car makes its power, you're welcome in the Donut community. - Nolan

[bryantvaldez]

"turning gas into noise. Im going to get that tattooed on me someday." may i recommend the lower back area?

[Brandonmntoya]

dude really stood in front of a green screen just so they could make him stand in front of a blue one

[ZeroDamage.]

I'd like to see a part B with the end stage of the vehicles. The recycling of the batteries the recycling of the gas motor versiand just would be interesting

[danielc]

Excellent breakdown of the pros and cons of EVs. One big issue I see with them is that they’re still not affordable enough for most people even with a tax credit. And on top of that a lot of people don’t have access to charging because they live in an apartment. Someday it’ll get there when the technology matures but not yet.

[stefanczyzewski]

I just realised that my friends presentation for school is the exact same, word-for-word, as this video. Lol

[shelbylover]

Hoping Porsche is successful with their alternate fuel source so we can keep engines for longer

[AHVENAN]

No matter which is less damaging to the environment, a brand new EV or a brand new ICE car, I still firmly belive that the MOST enviromental thing you can do as a car owner and driver, is keep an old car running for as long as possible, the production of new cars is responsible for quite a large chunk of the emissions no matter how you spin it!

[minuschubz]

Hey Nolan, make the hour long episode, we aren’t busy we’re locked in our houses...

[wellfuckyoumr]

“ICE engine”

Internal combustion engine engine.

[dlzott]

Why did you calculate the cost of drilling oil but not the mining of coal for power plants or mining of aluminum for wind turbines or processing of silicone for solar panels?

[anthonymmeek]

Loved the video and the detail. Would prefer citations from your sources in the video (just a visual reference or in the bio would be good). Thanks for the content

[waynealejo]

Y’all at Donut need to get this guy a higher frame rate camera.

[victorancelmo]

Nolan: Ugh those frickin chargers
James: MOW POWA BABEHH

[FinesseBTW]

Watching this 2 years later and I have a few comments:

I think you did a really good job looking at this from an unbiased perspective, however I think you missed out on a couple important points.

1. The batteries on EVs wear out. These batteries will need to get replaced multiple times throughout the life of an EV. Judging by the fact that the majority of EV emissions come from the battery manufacturing process, I feel like accounting for this would change the numbers a lot. These batteries don't last nearly as long as reliable gasoline engines, which can run for hundreds of thousands of miles with no issues.

2. The power grid concern you denoted as a myth actually has a lot of merit. There was a recent heatwave in California. Because of this, home owners tend to use more electricity on air conditioning. This alone was enough for the state of California to request their residents not to charge their EVs because they couldn't provide enough power to do so. They also requested residents to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher in order to conserve power. This is ridiculously hot and not at all a reasonable request.

[zamin_ali]

A subject you did not cover in this video was the lifespan of an EV battery versus the lifespan of an internal combustion engine.

[skyty]

0:02 damn it sounded like Nolan was about to spit some fire for a second there

[christopherleetrf]

Nolan: those freaking Chargers
Also Nolan: nothing matches a V8 turning gas into noise 😂

[markaingham]

Lots of pretty good info. I seemed to have missed if you added the impact of the oil extraction and refining to the ICE cars (over all or per gallon). From what I have read, that adds about another 5ish pounds of CO2 per gallon that is burned, ... or another 2500 lbs a year. (haven't addressed any oils, or other fluids in ICE or their disposal or production either :))

[forwardfaith]

Well done. A couple of things to add...companies like Redwood Materials are recyling over 90% of battery materials today. Also, LPF chemistry batteries are becoming more popular. They use lithium but not cobalt, which addresses the concern about child labor for at least that metal.