In almost all the parts of the word, the need to have a sustainable, high-quality life has been the determinant factor towards the provision of secure and reliable energy supplies across the world (Wilberforce, et al., 2017). The world constantly strives towards searching for clean sources of power to run the different vehicles on the road as they are the major contributors of toxic emissions released from internal combustion engines into the environment. The emissions have a significant impact on the climate, and pollute the air which adversely affects human health. Electric cars are manufactured with the aim of reducing air emissions from the typical internal combustion vehicles. The aim to reduce air emissions has led to the reduced release of environmentally harmful substances such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides (Wilberforce, et al., 2017). Electric cars are classified as zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), because they have no emissions that could pollute the air since they are powered by electricity generated from batteries (Carley, et al., 2016). California Air Resources Board (CARB), instructed that the production of ZEVs be 1.5 percent of the total automotive sales by 1998. However, the push for the production and use of ZEV has raised several concerns on the environmental impacts of the production (Carley, et al., 2016). Several questions can be drawn from the use of ZEVs products such as what are some of the unforeseen environmental impacts of ZEVs? Are ZEVs the solution to air pollution problems? For this reason the paper tries to examine the feasibility of electric vehicles and pollution effects to the environment attributed to their production.
There are various approaches that could be used to analyze the efficiency of electric vehicles on the environs. However, there is a need to engage into a more compressive breakdown of the life cycle of electric car production. The term life cycle is used to refer to all the phases including manufacturing, usage and disposal of ZEVs (Tietenberg, " Lewis, 2016).
Electric vehicles are designed to save energy as well as reduce emissions harmful to the environment. The basic design of ZEVs is founded on the need to reduce vehicle weight compared to the normal cars. ZEVs are powered by lead acid batteries made of heavy materials. Therefore, in an attempt to extend the driving range and increase acceleration, there is a need to make the electric cars as light as possible as the internal combustion vehicles to counterbalance the mass of the batteries (Tietenberg, " Lewis, 2016). Manufacturers have hence considered using alternative lightweight materials to achieve the objective. For instance, aluminum and plastic components can be used to address the weight problem. Therefore, with the mass assembly of ZEVs there would be amplified production of aluminum and plastic manufacture. The augmented production of these two products raises questions about their impacts on the environment.
The production of aluminum vehicle components involves mining, extraction, assembly and casting of the components (Koltun, 2010). Aluminum mining and primary extraction are the primary environmental effects associated with aluminum production, which have classified as highly polluting and energy intensive (Koltun, 2010). According to the Aluminum Association, about 59% of the aluminum in vehicles today contains reused scrap, and over 80 percent of scrapped cars are recycled (Walbridge, " de la Chevrotière, 2012). The production of aluminum scrap requires only 5% of the energy involved in the production of bauxite, in that way the depletion of nonrenewable fuels is reduced.
Electric vehicles rely on the battery as the primary source of energy. Concerning the available technology, the most probable source of power for new ZVEs would be lead/acid battery. There have been questions and concerns regarding the length of each charge. The existing technology points towards the usage of lead/acid batteries as the source of power and energy for ZEVs. However, there are several negative consequences associated with the use of lead/acid batteries, for instance large amounts of lead end up being deposited into the environment. Proper disposal of the lead contained in the batteries is necessary once ineffective as a source of energy. According to the analysis documented by researchers such as Carnegie-Mellon, mass production of electric cars relying on lead/acid batteries as a source of power would exponentially increase the public exposure to lead pollution (Morriss, Bogart, Meiners, " Dorchak, 2011).
Conclusion
The increased demand for ZEVs results in a direct increase in the market for aluminum. In an attempt of making lighter vehicles, there will be an increased proportion of plastics due to increased production of ZEVs. Regulating and moderating the emission of pollutants into the environment is important in guaranteeing the safety of human morbidity and the environment. Subsequently, concentrating on minimizing motor vehicle emissions seems sufficiently vindicated. The use of lead/acid batteries has adverse effects on the environment, and may result in increased environmental damage. Increased use of lead batteries exposes the environment to lead unlike using leaded gasoline. Electric vehicle manufacturers may consider using integrated alternative fuels and electricity as an alternative of lead batteries. The world needs to address the environmental effects of ZEVs to ensure ultimate emissions free future having a sustainable and reliable source or energy.
References
Carley, S., Duncan, D., Esposito, D., Graham, J. D., Siddiki, S., " Zirogiannis, N. (2016). Rethinking Auto Fuel Economy Policy. Indiana University.
Koltun, P. (2010). Materials and sustainable development. Progress in Natural Science: Materials International, 20, 16-29.
Morriss, A. P., Bogart, W. T., Meiners, R. E., " Dorchak, A. (2011). The false promise of green energy. Cato Institute.
Tietenberg, T. H., " Lewis, L. (2016). Environmental and natural resource economics. Routledge.
Wilberforce, T., El-Hassan, Z., Khatib, F. N., Al Makky, A., Baroutaji, A., Carton, J. G., " Olabi, A. G. (2017). Developments of electric cars and fuel cell hydrogen electric cars. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 42(40), 25695-25734.
Walbridge, S., " de la Chevrotière, A. (2012). Opportunities for the use of Aluminum in Vehicular Bridge Construction. Aluminium Association of Canada Report, MAADI Group, Montreal.
