It only takes 2 years to 'pay off' an EV's CO2 debt

[ericfair-layman]

Yes. If CO2 is the only metric. And how often do you change batteries out? I actually don’t know. How do they get the materials for the batteries? Mountain top removal and blood diamonds (not literally blood diamonds but analogous practices).

[---Dana----]

1. What if you're plugging your car into a coal burning power plant?
2. How much of that benefit is undone by an annual vacation on an airplane?

[alimuhammad]

Get a cycle and use a clean energy public transport? No?

[UnicronCharieee]

Wait a sec, you are not including the cost of changing the battery and the cost of environmental degradation caused by their production and pollution associated with crashes, because cars tend to crash ...

[John-zhud]

Lifetime of a car is like 20+ years for an ICE...

[AntonioBergamasco_Tonichek]

Yes, completely forget about the giant footprint of battery recyclation or changing the battery during the lifespan of the car. Not the mention the collosal amount of copper needed just to build high voltage cables to supply the new charging stations and the footprint of such mining.

[phox]

I’d rather see a bigger focus on public transport. And I love cars and driving, I’m just tried of sharing the road with people who don’t.

[danylatulippe]

Your graphic goes up to 12 years, which we know is really not the lifespan of an EV, mainly due to the battery needing to be replaced within 7 to 10 years. With the cost involved (25k-40k), the majority of people tend to scrap the car and buy another one, which increase the embedded CO2 footprint not only for the battery but the entire car. On the other hand, a fossil fuel car can be kept and maintained economically for much longer than an EV. My current car is 12 years old and needs minimal maintenance each year. It will most likely work fine for at least 4 to 5 more years before I need to replace the engine, which is really the costliest thing to change on a gas car and will be around 2.5k. After that, I can probably keep and maintain the car for many, many years... decades, even.

Add to that the fact that most countries don't have clean energy and you compound the co2 problem...

Your assessment is flawed in so, so many ways. Do you even realize it? Are you blind to all the factors involved or are you just voluntarily lying for a paycheck? One thing is for sure: this segment is clearly disingenuous.

[karenbennettson]

How do you dispose of it and how do you replace those batteries as they get old where do they go

[sintay]

With emissions, yes, but what about replacing the battery/ resources to make a battery by mining? How long do the batteries last and how much goes into production repeatedly/replacement?

[CruzzzControl]

What about the average battery life on an electric car? Or the precious medals that are mined in order to make said batteries?

[richardwaltz]

But this means that I need to drive my car a lot. In some cases this may be more ecological for example when someone is walking-disabled, but for someone who can just use the bike or public transport it's not a good solution.

[AA]

This is British Math. Doesn’t add up the same way around the world. To date, electric cars are severely limited in scope and while EV are likely the future, it’s up to the market (i.e., consumers) to make the cost benefit analysis not bureaucrats

[Clyde-]

EV’s are quite “clean” (low CO2) in the UK, relatively speaking, because in the last 20 years, they have shut down almost all of their coal power plants.

Do the same comparison in Australia, where coal still generates 46% of their electricity (compared to 1% in the UK), and result isn’t nearly so favorable for the EV.

[panama-canada]

That “debt” is in their mind imposed on you to instil guilt to propel you to buy what you would otherwise not buy. Think for yourself.

[munkyjammin]

The debt of REPLACING BATTERIES damaged in auto accidents is HORRENDOUS.

1ST RESPONDERS could not use the jaws of life to cut open electric vehicles in New Zealand due to the inability to disconnect the batteries in order TO SAVE LIVES.

In many countries there are not enough QUALIFIED electric vehicle mechanics to service or repair an electric vehicle.

That the energy for electric vehicles to charge comes from BROWN COAL in many countries.
Resulting in increased demand for coal combustion & pollution in areas where there are coal fired power plants. These areas have HIGH LEVELS of CANCERS, BIRTH DEFECTS & RESPIRATORY DISEASE.

THE POLLUTION IS RELOCATED NOT ERADICATED.

STOP TRYING TO CARBON GUILT PEOPLE .
WE NEED TO CHANGE GLOBAL CONSUMERISM, ELITE CORPORATE GREED & CONTROL .

VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLAR FOR THE GLOBAL FUTURE THAT YOU WANT.

[jackalbright]

Reported for misinformation. The answer is no.

[jessebob]

Maybe have the super rich corporations pay for this carbon debt?

[HakuCell]

i think you linked the wrong video at the bottom.

[Perilune-zrzs]

how long to pay off the human suffering and political turmoil debt in lithium-rich countries?