Many car companies are moving towards a strictly electric vehicle model to help fight climate change. By 2030 Volvo wants to stop selling gas powered cars, and Ford wants to be half full-electric by the same year. But many people are asking how green are these electric vehicles? The short answer is not at all. 

Electric vehicles definitely help with carbon emission there is no doubt, but in order for these vehicles to be green the energy needs to be clean as well and we have a long ways to go. 

About 71% of the world’s power is still made by non renewable energy. This includes oil, natural gas and coal. 

Only 29% of the world’s power is made from renewable energy sources like wind and solar. So before electric vehicles can be 100% green, the power grid needs to be as well which could be an impossible task.

Another factor to consider is the raw materials that need to be obtained to make the cars. Lithium and cobalt mining is very bad for the environment and the people that live nearby these mines. The chemicals leach into the earth and communities nearby have high exposure to the chemicals. This includes crops, animals, and even children. 

Extracting the ores requires them to be prepped for actually making the products. This process is called smelting. This process can emit harmful chemicals into the air such as sulfur oxide. Some argue that the process of making an electric car counters the goal of the electric car in the first place. 

Around 70% of the worlds cobalt is mined in the Republic of Congo. This cobalt is primarily mined by hand tools and much of the work is done by children. Lithium is mined primarily in Bolivia and Chile. The process of mining lithium requires a large amounts of water to pump out brines. The water required to make electric batteries is about 50% more water invasive than traditional carbon engines. 

Companies are working hard to combat this long list of problems with electric car batteries but the technology is still in development. In the end the question could be asked, is there even a 100% green vehicle option? We just may not ever get the perfect car or the perfect energy resource.