Electric vehicles are worse for the environment than gas cars because of battery production.

Question

Largely speaking, the claim that electric vehicles are worse for the environment in comparison to gas cars is untrue. While it is true that the production of EVs and their batteries contribute to more carbon emissions upfront compared to gas powered cars, there are multiple scientific studies that show that over a course of a car’s lifetime EVs emit substantially lower greenhouse gases.

This misconception is likely rooted in the manufacturing phase of cars, as battery production involves mining and refining resources leading to large environmental consequences. The MIT Climate Panel stats that, “building the 80 kWh lithium-ion battery … creates between 2.5 and 16 metric tons of CO₂ … This intensive battery manufacturing means that building a new EV can produce around 80% more emissions than building a comparable gas-powered car”. However, this is just one part of the larger view, because once on the road, EVs generate literally no tailpipe emissions. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, “emissions over the lifetime of average medium-size BEVs [battery electric vehicles] registered today are already lower than comparable gasoline cars by 66%–69% in Europe, 60%–68% in the United States, 37%–45% in China, and 19%–34% in India”.

Furthermore, EVs have a break-even point wherein their operational emissions outweigh their manufacturing, as cited by Reuters, “drive another 13,500 miles (21,725 km) before you're doing less harm to the environment than a gas-guzzling saloon”.

Thus, the claim is unfounded and overall, an EV is better for the environment compared to a gas-powered car.

Answer 1

Based on the article by earth.org, electric vehicles aren't exactly  worse for the environment than gas cars but they aren't as good as we thought in certain situations, mainly because of battery production and the electricity used to charge them. Electric vehicles might seem like the right choice in our environment, but they’re not perfect for sure. One big issue is the batteries. The article says, “Mining these materials, however, has a high environmental cost, a factor that inevitably makes the EV manufacturing process more energy intensive than that of an ICE vehicle.” In the article they talked about how materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel are really bad on the planet. They use tons of water, it ends up polluting rivers and destroying ecosystems.and it has caused dead zones in land and water in places like Cuba and the Philippines. Another problem is that electric vehicles still need electricity, and how eco friendly they are depends on the energy source. In India, where the article states, “61% of its power [comes] from thermal sources including fossil fuels like coal.” That means they can still contribute a lot to pollution and CO(2) Release. Plass recycling batteries is tricky and expensive, most batteries aren’t reused only about 5% of the world’s total batteries are recycled, according to the article.

But eclectic vehicles aren’t completely bad. They have benefits like “no emissions and lowered noise levels during functioning,” and if we use cleaner energy and improve the battery recycling, they could be much better for the planet. So it’s not as simple as saying they’re better than gas cars.

https://earth.org/environmental-impact-of-battery-production/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/battery-electric-cars-produce-73-less-emissions-research-2025-07-08/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Answer 2

With electric vehicles becoming more popular, there have been speculations about whether this is really as environmentally friendly as we think it is. This fact is misleading and is, in fact, not true. However, it is proven that producing batteries for electric cars does cause some damage to the environment. In order to create the battery, raw materials need to be extracted, and this involves using “fossil-fuel-powered refineries” that, at the end of the day, do a significant amount of damage upfront.

(https://www.npr.org/2024/05/09/1250212212/ev-batteries-environmental-impact) Although this can be rest assured, gas cars do end up causing more environmental damage. Gasoline-powered vehicles emit toxins for up to their entire lifetime. On the other hand, the batteries are only created at the beginning, so electric vehicles do produce higher emissions at the start, but the emissions are much lower during the use of the vehicle. The production of electric vehicles isn't perfect, but it is still a step towards a cleaner future. There are improvements being made every day to decrease the environmental footprint of electric vehicles. (https://www.greencars.com/greencars-101/environmental-impact-of-ev-batteries?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gc_merkle_all%20locations_generic_pmax&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17871356534&gbraid=0AAAAACT24aAhdkcMbl5kqXEo90W_dYlT9&gclid=CjwKCAjwx-zHBhBh) Overall, electric vehicles are not worse for the environment than gas cars. Even though they both cause some sort of harm to the environment, ultimately, gas cars are far worse and do more damage than electric vehicles. 

Answer 3

This claim is untrue. As the initial response states, electric cars do produce more emissions upfront during battery production; however, over the entire lifetime of the car gas cars emit much more. 

An article titled Are EVs Better For the Environment Than Gas-Powered Cars? by Drive Electric Vermont argues that EVs (in Vermont) produce just 14% as many life-cycle emissions as comparable gas cars (according to the ICCT). Since this statistic represents life-cycle emissions, we can be sure it accounts for the emissions created during battery production, which is what the original claim is focused on. Since this article is from a website that clearly favors electric vehicles (Drive Electric Vermont), it's integral to the source's credibility that they used facts gathered by neutral parties, such as the International Council on Clean Transportation.  

https://www.driveelectricvt.com/blog/are-evs-better-for-the-environment-than-gas-powered-vehicles 

Another article from the United States Environmental Protection Agency corroborates the information given in the original poster's explanation. The article states: "Still, over the lifetime of the vehicle, total GHG emissions associated with manufacturing, charging, and driving an EV are typically lower than the total GHGs associated with a gasoline car." 

Overall, this claim is untrue. It's wrong about gas cars being better for the environment in all areas but battery production. 

Answer 4

This debate on whether the “ends” – no carbon emissions from your vehicle – justify the “means”- the overall environmental cost of extracting and transporting precious metals across the world – has existed since the first wave of mass-produced electric vehicles from known manufactures in the 2000s with vehicles like Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius. The claim the ends do not justify the means is often propagated by those with vested interests in GPVs (Gas-powered vehicles), however, when this standard is applied to both GPVs and BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) it is harder to determine which is truly superior. While most research indicates that a newly bought EV will even out its up-front environmental cost after a certain number of miles, that mileage number can vary¹ drastically depending on the portion of your energy that comes from renewable sources. Alternative emissions studies like this one (https://www.emissionsanalytics.com/news/gaining-traction-losing-tread) from Emissions Analytics  which measured the emissions from tire wear against those from the tailpipe found that new tires can often have a massively greater negative effect on the environment, with this issue playing out tenfold in modern, heavier, and torquier EVs; “Half a tonne of battery weight can result in tire emissions that are almost 400 more times greater than real-world tailpipe emissions, everything else being equal.” (Nick Molden, May 2024). While that is an independent study, it goes to show that this comparison has many different facets that can be leveraged to sway the consensus one way or the other. For instance, in a 2023 article for the MIT Technological Review (https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/02/02/1067641/busting-myths-about-materials-and-renewable-energy/) , Casey Crownheart states in support of a total shift to renewable energy sources: “About 7.5 billion metric tons of coal were mined in 2021. Estimates for the maximum amount of materials we’ll need annually to build low-emissions energy infrastructure top out at about 200 million metric tons, including all the cement, aluminum, steel, and even glass that needs to be produced.” 

In conclusion, most research supports the eventual ecological benefits of having an EV over a GPV as evidence to make more advances towards achieving climate-safe transportation. Beyond just the individual emissions this claim attempts to debase the push towards electrical vehicles all together as environmentally detrimental, which is mostly untrue. Lowering our dependance on Natural gases, fossil fuels, and Coal-powered plants will not only result in immediate, positive effects, it will subsequently hinder the large Energy Corporations' ability to further their environmentally destructive ways. While the mining of Nickel, Lithium, and Cobalt is not in anyways good (environment harm, pollutants, labor abuses, etc.), its resource and land use pales in comparison with fossil fuel extraction. It's also true that scientists are constantly seeking new, more environmentally-friendly methods for extracting these precious metals². Not only is this claim untrue, but it sets a double standard that unnecessarily complicates climate research and takes away from the real issue. 

1: “When do electric vehicles become cheaper than gasoline cars?” P.Lienert 2021, Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/when-do-electric-vehicles-become-cleaner-than-gasoline-cars-2021-06-29/)

2: https://profession.americangeosciences.org/society/intersections/faq/what-biomining

Answer 5

The claim that electric cars are worse for the environment than gas-powered vehicles is false. With the recent popularity of electric cars, there has been speculation that electric batteries are worse than those in a traditional gas car. While it is true that batteries have a large carbon footprint, which is bad for the climate and environment, they are still a better solution than gas cars. The batteries, while harmful to build, are sustainable and aren't as destructive to the environment as a gas vehicle. Burning gasoline causes consistent harm and costs to the environment.

My primary source on this topic is an NPR article by Camila Domonoske. She reported on this issue through interviews with the head of the International Council on Clean Transportation, Georg Bieker, and the political scientist Thea Riofrancos.  

A secondary source for this issue is an article from the Power Alliance. They are quotes saying “According to the EPA, electric vehicles consume energy much more efficiently: “Electric vehicles (EVs) typically have a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline cars, even when accounting for the electricity used for charging, plus they are far more efficient when it comes to energy use…. A significant advantage of EVs compared to conventional gasoline vehicles is their energy efficiency. EVs use approximately 87%–91% of the energy from the battery and regenerative braking to propel the vehicle. Gasoline vehicles only convert about 16–25% of the energy from gasoline into movement (averaging highway and city driving).”

Answer 6

The claim that electric cars are worse for the environment than gas-powered vehicles is false. With the recent popularity of electric cars, there has been speculation that electric batteries are worse than those in a traditional gas car. While it is true that batteries have a large carbon footprint, which is bad for the climate and environment, they are still a better solution than gas cars. The batteries, while harmful to build, are sustainable and aren't as destructive to the environment as a gas vehicle. Burning gasoline causes consistent harm and costs to the environment.

My primary source on this topic is an NPR article by Camila Domonoske. She reported on this issue through interviews with Georg Bieker, the head of the International Council on Clean 

Transportation, and Thea Riofrancos, a political scientist.  

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/09/1250212212/ev-batteries-environmental-impact

A secondary source for this issue is an article from the Power Alliance. They are quotes saying “According to the EPA, electric vehicles consume energy much more efficiently: “Electric vehicles (EVs) typically have a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline cars, even when accounting for the electricity used for charging, plus they are far more efficient when it comes to energy use…. A significant advantage of EVs compared to conventional gasoline vehicles is their energy efficiency. EVs use approximately 87%–91% of the energy from the battery and regenerative braking to propel the vehicle. Gasoline vehicles only convert about 16–25% of the energy from gasoline into movement (averaging highway and city driving).”

https://poweralliance.org/2024/11/21/no-electric-vehicles-are-not-worse-for-the-environment-than-gas-powered-cars-theyre-much-cleaner/

Comments

I think you tagged this wrong but maybe I misunderstood?

Answer 7

I chose this claim because I personally have an electric car, and did lots of research before purchasing it. As an environmentalist, it was important to me to make a long-term, sustainable choice to help minimize my carbon footprint and reduce the amount of carbon emissions I was contributing to. In studying environmental science, you learn to weigh the overall benefits of choices, knowing that we can’t reverse the damage we have done, but can attempt to better it for future generations. A study by the EPA, last updated in August of 2025, proves that this claim is false and breaks down many myths surrounding battery-operated cars. The myths identified in this article include the following: Myth #1: Electric vehicles are worse for the climate than gasoline cars because of power plant emissions, Myth #2: Electric vehicles are worse for the climate than gasoline cars because of battery manufacturing, Myth #3: Electric vehicle batteries are unreliable and need to be replaced every few years, Myth #4: The increase in electric vehicles entering the market will collapse the U.S. power grid, Myth #5: There is nowhere to charge, Myth #6: Electric vehicles don’t have enough range to handle daily travel demands, and Myth #7: Electric vehicles are not as safe as comparable gasoline vehicles. The benefits of an electric car outweigh the environmental impact of mining materials for the batteries. Granted, anything in overproduction is bad for the environment, but generally speaking, since we can’t reverse the damage we’ve already caused with carbon emissions, it is crucial to move away from systems that negatively affect ecosystems. Since carbon emissions increase yearly, it is even more important to try and minimize our own emissions on a personal level.