I am an EV advocate and I am responding to Alex Wronka’s letter “Many apologies to the EV owner” on the subject of vehicle efficiency.
EVs, in this case passenger vehicles, are indeed not less than 20% efficient as Mr. Wronka grossly misstated. EV’s are, according to Motor Trend magazine, “way way more efficient” than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. They are 65 to 70 percent efficient, give or take, depending on source of study. Anticipating a retort, I will state that even coal-fired power plants that charge some of EVs are more efficient, and in combination make EVs cleaner than ICE vehicles. Furthermore, as we replace coal fired power plants with green energy sources, even EVs already on the road will become more efficient, and cleaner as EVs themselves emit zero emissions.
Next, when EV batteries’ usefulness for an EV have ended, they can have a second life in commercial battery backup systems because they don’t “go dead” like your ICE car’s battery. They simply lose range over time while still offering full power. It is important to note too, that the EV battery will offer satisfactory range for the life of the car. And when they are finally depleted, or most likely when the EV goes to the junk yard, the batteries are not “disposed of” as Mr. Wronka again misstated. The fully depleted batteries are recycled, just like the 12 volt batteries in ICE vehicles, and the raw materials are reclaimed to make new EV batteries. It is now reported that the recycling process is already advanced to the point where the recycled raw materials are even purer than the mined raw materials. There are already EV battery recycling companies in the USA and around the world. Some of the EV manufacturers, like Tesla, are recycling their own spent batteries. I researched GM and Ford. They have already teamed up with battery recycling companies, and I’m sure all other EV manufacturers have too.
The fact is that EVs are not perfect, no vehicle is, they are just better than ICE. They’re more efficient, cheaper and cleaner to run, cheaper to maintain, and very soon will be equal to purchase. One reason EVs are currently more expensive is that creating and/or converting the factories to build them require billions of dollars of investment. Therefore, auto manufacturers are building the larger and more luxurious models that they make the most profit on first to recoup the investment as quickly as possible. Less expensive models are in the design stage. A new Chevy Bolt costs around $30K, and with incentives in NJ, around $25K Already, there are models available such that if you keep them for five or six years, they will be equivalent in overall cost to their ICE counterparts. An EV expert proved to me that in six years, my 2019 $51K Tesla Model 3 will be cheaper overall to own than a new 2019 $35K Subaru Forester Limited would have been, which I was originally going to purchase.
Those of you reading this letter, please, don’t take my word for it. Google “EV efficiency vs. gasoline cars”. Google “EV battery recycling Tesla GM Ford”. You will see numerous articles by respected publications backing my statements as fact.
In conclusion, ICE vehicles do have a couple of advantages over EVs, as I said, EVs aren’t perfect. ICE cars have longer range, and they are cleaner to manufacture- for now, and charging can be an issue if you live in a multi-unit dwelling. However, that will all change in the near future, and overall, EVs are cleaner and cheaper to own and operate over time. Keep in mind, we are only in the spring in the age of EVs. The best is yet to come.
Peter Bremy
Stanhope