The Environmental Impacts of Extraction, Processing, Use, and Disposal of Key Components in Gasoline, Electric, and Hybrid Vehicles
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2215Keywords:
Electric vehicle, hybrid vehicle, gasoline vehicle, transportation emissions, lithium-ion batteriesAbstract
Recent emphasis on electric vehicles because of societal and governmental pressure to mitigate climate change has sparked debate when determining which type of vehicle is better for the environment. This review compares gasoline, electric, and hybrid vehicles to evaluate associated environmental and ethical concerns. While gasoline vehicles are still the most readily accessible, their emission of greenhouse gasses is detrimental to the environment. When used correctly, hybrid and electric vehicles are much less damaging in an environmental context; however, ethically sourcing materials like cobalt and lithium for the batteries in these vehicles has proven to be a challenge. To evaluate the environmental and ethical considerations, each car’s life cycle is broken into the extraction of materials, production of critical parts, use, and recycling or disposal options available. Each phase of gasoline, electric, and hybrid vehicles’ life cycle is examined for emission levels, efficiency, and ethics.
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