Electric Vehicles: Deciphering Fact from Fiction

The science is clear: humans are emitting a record amount of greenhouse gasses (GHG) into the atmosphere, where they trap heat and cause global temperatures to rise. To avoid catastrophic climate change, we must drastically reduce our GHG emissions.

Transportation accounts for 15% of global GHG emissions, and exposure to air pollution from vehicles can cause serious respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Therefore, decarbonizing our transportation is key to mitigating climate change and keeping people healthy. Switching to electric vehicles (EVs) is one way to achieve this. Unlike traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, which run on fossil fuels, EVs are battery-powered and produce no tailpipe emissions.

In 2023, almost 14 million new EVs were sold, representing a 35% increase from 2022. Yet, they still only accounted for 18% of all cars sold, suggesting that many buyers remain skeptical about choosing EVs over traditional gas-powered cars. This skepticism is further exacerbated by climate-denying organizations, who seek to sow seeds of doubt about EVs in people's minds. However, such critiques often fail to tell the whole story. Let's take a closer look at some of the arguments against EVs and see how they hold up against further scrutiny.

Argument 1: EVs Cost Consumers Much More Money Than Gas Cars

The Heartland Institute - a think tank known for denying human-driven climate change - is just one group arguing that EVs are simply too expensive to be viable alternatives for consumers. It is true that the average base price of an EV is higher than the average price of a gas-guzzling car. Once the cars start being driven, however, the cost-saving qualities of EVs really kick into gear.

A study from the University of Michigan found that the average fuel cost per mile for EVs is about 2.5 times less than the cost per mile for gas cars due to the higher efficiency of electric motors and the lower price of electricity relative to gasoline. The researchers also pointed out that electricity enjoys much more price stability than gasoline and has slower projected increases in price over time.

Additionally, EVs typically require less maintenance because they have fewer moving parts than conventional combustion engines, benefit from reduced brake wear, and do not require as many fluid changes. Surveys of vehicle owners conducted by Consumer Reports found that, on average, EV owners pay half as much as gas car owners for maintenance and repairs over the lifetime of the vehicle.

As a result of the lower energy cost per mile and lower maintenance and repair costs, the higher initial cost of purchasing an EV can be recovered in as little as 5 years, according to researchers at Argonne National Laboratory. With expected battery life spans of 12-15 years in moderate climates and 8-12 years in extreme climates, EVs will save consumers money in the long run.

Verdict: Do EVs Cost More Money Than Gas Cars? No.

Argument 2: EVs Are Not Much Cleaner Than Traditional Cars

Another climate change-denying organization, The Heritage Foundation, has made the case that EVs are not significantly better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles because they create more emissions when being produced and run off electricity generated by burning fossil fuels.

Again, parts of this argument are true. Creating EV batteries requires minerals including lithium, cobalt, and nickel to be mined and heated to high temperatures. As a result of this energy-intensive process, making an EV can produce more emissions than making a traditional car. Additionally, the emissions resulting from EV charging vary greatly depending on how local electricity is generated. When the electricity is produced from renewable energy sources, EV emissions are very low, but when the electricity is produced from fossil fuels, EV emissions increase substantially.

However, even when the emissions from battery manufacturing and electricity generation are taken into account, EVs still result in significantly lower lifetime greenhouse gas emissions. Gas cars simply produce so much more emissions when in use, that overall, EVs remain the better choice for the environment.

As more of the world's energy is generated from renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower, the emissions associated with EV charging will continue to decrease. Currently, renewables produce about 30% of the world's electricity and are projected to surpass coal as the largest source of electricity in 2025. With this, we can expect EVs to get even cleaner.

Verdict: Are EVs The Cleaner Choice? Yes.

Argument 3: Replacing Gas Cars With EVs Will Destroy American Jobs

At an event in Michigan earlier this year, former President Donald Trump warned that a shift to EVs would result in an economic "bloodbath", destroying the auto industry and costing many people their jobs. Pete Hoekstra, chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, echoed this sentiment, saying that jobs would be lost because EV manufacturing requires 40% less labor than gas car manufacturing.

However, a Carnegie Mellon University study found that EVs actually require more manufacturing labor than traditional vehicles. Similarly, researchers at the University of Michigan showed that labor intensity and total employment at U.S. vehicle assembly plants that have fully transitioned to assembling EVs are much higher than historic labor intensity data at gas car assembly plants. This indicates that an EV transition would likely create more jobs in the auto industry.

This is not just mere speculation. In 2023, battery electric vehicle employment increased 12.9%, adding 17,064 jobs and outpacing job growth in gas and diesel vehicles. Moreover, the Department of Energy recently announced its Battery Workforce Challenge Program to train workers for EV and battery manufacturing jobs, providing new opportunities for vocational training. At the very least, this goes to show that the risk of a "bloodbath" as predicted by Trump is incredibly small.

Verdict: Are EVs A Death Sentence For Jobs? No.

Argument 4: EVs Are Heavier, So Their Tires Wear Out Quicker

According to the tire manufacturing company, Michelin, tires on EVs can wear out up to 20% faster than those on gas cars due to their heavy batteries and higher torque. This presents risks for the environment and human health.

Tire wear during use releases microplastics into the environment, which can pollute the air, land, and water, and be ingested by humans and wildlife. Moreover, the production of tires results in deforestation for growing monocultures of rubber trees, is energy and water-intensive, and emits carcinogens and radioactive compounds. At the end of their lifetimes, millions of tons of tires end up in landfills or burned for fuel.

In response to this need for improved tires, companies are working to develop more resilient and environmentally responsible tire designs and recycling processes, providing hope that future EVs will not have these same problems.

Verdict: Do EV Tires Wear Out Faster? Yes, But Hopefully Not For Long.

Argument 5: There Are Human Rights Abuses In The EV Supply Chain

Most EV batteries contain cobalt and 70% of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 15 to 30% of the cobalt from the DRC involves small-scale artisanal mining operations in which workers, including children, are exposed to incredibly dangerous and inhumane working conditions.

Batteries containing cobalt are not only used to power EVs. They are also in many consumer electronics, including our phones and laptops. Therefore, the labor abuses associated with cobalt mining concern many parts of the global supply chain - not just EVs.

Additionally, many scientists, including those at the University of California Irvine, University of Tokyo, and the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research have developed cobalt-free batteries that may soon provide EV manufacturers with viable alternatives.

Verdict: Not Perfect, But Still Progress

EVs, just like nearly everything else on this planet, are not without faults. But not all criticisms thrown at them are valid, and those that are do not negate the fact that vehicle electrification has an important role to play in reducing emissions and mitigating climate change.

Continuing to use polluting gas-powered vehicles is not an option. Instead of making up excuses to prevent the inevitable EV transition, we should focus our efforts on addressing the real problems by increasing renewable electricity generation, improving tire technology, and enforcing labor standards to protect miners.

As research and technology advance, EVs will only continue to get cleaner and more efficient, driving us toward a future that is healthier and happier for all. To learn more about EVs and why EARTHDAY.ORG believes that the future is electric, read our in-depth EV Explainer and subscribe to our Substack channel for lots of great articles that will give you plenty of facts to counter any climate-denying and fossil fuel-funded misinformation that might come your way.

EARTHDAY.ORG knows that leaving fossil fuels in the past is the only way forward, which is why we have chosen Our Power, Our Planet™ as the theme for Earth Day 2025. Oil, coal, and natural gas have overstayed their welcome. It's time we give fossil fuels the boot and replace them with solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and tidal energy sources.

Join us in our call for #RenewableEnergyNow by signing the Our Power, Our Planet Renewable Energy Petition calling on global leaders to phase out fossil fuels and triple renewable energy generation by 2030. Looking to take more action? Explore our Global Energy Map to see what different countries are doing to transition to renewable energy and watch our new reel, 6 Months to Earth Day 2025. Follow us on social media (IG, LinkedIn, You Tube, X and Facebook) and share our articles and posts to spread the message!

The Age of Fossil Fuels is Over, The Age of Clean Electricity is Here.

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