environmental, social and Safety issues related to electric
These are sometimes quoted as reasons not to adopt Electric Cars
Issue - What happens to batteries at the end of their lives?
It is true that there are currently few places that can recycle these batteries, that is because there are almost no batteries reaching the end of their useful life as life is exceeding expectations. EU and UK law demands that manufacturers take responsibility for batteries and an industry is developing in readiness. Manufacturers must accept their batteries back from consumers, and properly dispose of them. The first step in the recycling process will be disassembly of the battery into individual modules, and repurposing of modules either for aftermarket automotive batteries, or where capacity is lower, for stationary use, for example to store excess solar energy for night-time use where they can have another entire product life. Cells that are unusable for this will be reprocessed into usable materials and waste, in specialised reprocessing facilities.
While there are environmental costs with Lithium Batteries, there are greater environmental costs with Diesel and Petrol cars, and Joe believes the scientific consensus that that we must make sensible use of Lithium Batteries as a means to decrease carbon emissions.
Issue - Deaths Injuries and Child Labour related to Mining of Cobalt for NMC Automotive Batteries
The high value of Cobalt has encouraged uncontrolled mining of material including exploitation of child labour in some countries, particularly the Democratic Republic Of Congo. It seems likely that controls on sourcing have been insufficient to prevent such materials being used in Automotive Lithium (NMC) Batteries. Note that alternative battery chemistries, such as Lithium Iron Phosphate Oxide (LFP) used in around 50% of Tesla vehicles do not use Cobalt in their manufacture. Tesla has reduction in use of Cobalt as a stated aim, however NMC chemistry can store more energy per weight of battery so will not be replaced.
Significant pressures exist to reform the industry and while damage has occurred , scientific consensus is that benefits outweigh disadvantages. There is greater injury and damage occurring through fossil fuel use.
risk of fire with electric cars
The truth about the risks with Lithium Batteries in Electric Cars
Scare stories are used to discourage adoption; there are risks to be managed with car batteries. Joe has researched the facts.
Are electric cars in London more likely to catch fire than petrol and diesel cars?
In 2019 the London Fire Brigade dealt with 1,898 fires in petrol or diesel cars, and 54 in electric vehicles.
https://www.bedsfire.gov.uk/safety/electric-vehicles
OK there are less electric cars about but that cannot explain why EV's have so few fires!
How about in Sweden - 2023 data?
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency recorded 68 fires per 100,000 cars in 2023, yet only 3.8 fires per 100,000 electric or hybrid cars in the same period.
Fire service records rarely allow direct comparisons, but what evidence there is shows fires are very rare and unlikely in electric cars. However where they do occur they can be troublesome so Joe will consider how they occur and how they are managed.
Lithium Battery Fires IN ELECTRIC CARS
How can fires occur in electric cars
1- Damage to battery in a car accident
If cells are punctured in a collision, chemical reactions can lead to a fire which is hard to extinguish and may give off toxic fumes. Car designs place the batteries in safest position in the vehicle (normally below the floor) in a module designed to tolerate crash damage.
2- Battery becomes overheated due to nearby fire
An electric car inside a burning garage for example, could see its battery overheat and catch fire. This does bring additional hazard to fires in multi story car parks, although exploding petrol tanks are likely to be a greater hazard.
How are lithium battery fires extinguished?
Fires must be dealt with by trained people, fire services are well prepared. They will evacuate the area then remove heat from the fire with water, and may allow the fire to 'burn out' safely. Incidents are time consuming as fires can reignite hours after being extinguished.