Back to School: How Clean Are Electric Cars?

That’s right, you’ve walked right into a science lesson. Like all science lessons, we all know the best ones are the practicals… Unlucky for you! Today is all theory, the practical is up to you to complete; it’s within your reach! That is if you take the leap and go for an electric car. Today, let’s explore the science, just how clean are electric cars?

The youth of today is well aware we’re in a climate emergency. The older generations are still a little blasé about it; we would be! We’ll probably be dead before the major impacts are being felt. Though, I imagine our kids would like to enjoy the planet after we’re gone. Maybe we should take this a little more seriously?

In fairness, we are getting more serious, luckily. Last year, the UK generated over a third of the total electricity we used from renewables. At last measure for 2020, it was nearly half, primarily through wind power. This is a great start if a little late, but great news for electric cars.

Electric Cars Damage the Planet!

To build, that is. It’s about the same way that petrol and diesel cars do, so it’s pretty much a level playing field. However, once you drive off the forecourt, it’s chalk and cheese in comparison. Electric cars use electricity, obviously. Almost half of this electricity comes from renewables and the remainder is produced industrially in vastly efficient plants.

Petrol and diesel cars demand liquid from deep below the surface. It’s transported and refined, then transported again to a local fuel station before you can get it. It’s often from halfway around the world… in turn, causing more pollution. Once you get the fuel, your car, in a rather inefficient way, converts it to energy to power the wheels.

Don’t believe me on the efficiency? Well, try racing an electric car!

You could even cut out the middlemen altogether! Power your car using solar panels on your house. If you’re not driving much, you could even store the power from it to power your house! If you drive an electric car, you don’t pollute at all! The pollution caused by creating your ‘fuel’ is significantly lower than petrol and diesel and it’s getting cleaner every day.

Electric cars also require far fewer parts and servicing than petrol/diesel. Of course, there’s still the footprint that comes with producing those parts, though EV’s have fewer parts than traditional cars! People argue about the batteries, but the typical car battery is good for at least ten years. Even then it goes on to secondary markets…

Do the Kids a Favour…

Make your next car an electric one. Smog was fun when I was 18 and part of the ‘rave’ generation. Nowadays, I do quite like being able to breathe…

When my kids are 18, I’d prefer they had their air free of pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, benzene, formaldehyde, and sulphur dioxide. We’re in an era where we don’t like our kids having additives. How we can let them breathe these carcinogenic, respiratory-system-attacking chemicals is beyond me.

I mean, imagine how we could adapt, we could grow gills! That’d be useful if we carry on doing nothing, our kids will be living underwater thanks to global warming…

Missed last weeks lesson? No worries, there’s a catch-up on right now!! Click here.

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