By Christopher Sargunam
Retail sales for electric vehicles (EVs) saw a massive year-on-year uptick of 185 percent last month. Nearly 1.12 lakh EV units were sold in October 2022, up from 39,329 units in October 2021.
While the demand for greener wheels is on the rise, this is merely the initial phase of EV adoption. Electric bikes and cars are here, but the average consumer is hesitant to jump on the EV bandwagon.
Policymakers have already stepped up to reduce vehicular emissions. A Supreme Court judgement from 2018 prohibited 15-year-old petrol vehicles and 10-year-old diesel vehicles from plying in the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi. Once the car reaches the end of its life, re-registration goes off the table. All that remains is to impound the vehicle and turn it into scrap.
That’s a problem because vehicles do not automatically become unfit upon hitting an age milestone. Rather than scrap vehicles that are in good condition, why not refurbish them? A refurbished vehicle can be less polluting. Plus, the act of refitting an existing set of wheels ensures that fewer new vehicles add to the environmental burden.
How green are those wheels?
Manufacturers are ramping up efforts to make vehicles more eco-friendly. Most of them are sourcing materials ethically, innovating to save energy, adopting sustainable and tech-driven practices at plants, and developing alternative-fuel engines. Curbing greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide, is also among their top priorities.
The less carbon dioxide a vehicle emits per km, the better it is for the environment. Newer models perform better in this regard, but emission levels vary based on the type of engine and the size of the vehicle. A diesel engine emits more carbon dioxide than an EV engine, and a large car will probably be a worse emitter than a two-wheeler. The parameters differ based on the models under consideration, but here’s a guideline: any vehicle that emits less than 100 grams of carbon dioxide per km is a reasonably green choice.
Now, if you were to do a carbon lifecycle assessment, EVs would emerge as the clear winners. For example, a family car generates 24 tonnes of carbon dioxide over its lifecycle, whereas an equivalent EV emits only 18 tonnes. But things get muddied in the production phase, and here’s why: To produce a new EV, manufacturers need large amounts of steel and aluminium for the body, suspension, and braking systems, copper for the electronic wiring, lots of plastic for the dashboard, seats, and switches, and rare-earth metals like lithium for the batteries.
Each of these steps has an environmental impact: Mining and processing metals is energy-intensive and hurts local ecosystems. Plastic takes centuries to break down and harms animal populations. When car parts and materials are ready, they must be transported by ship or air to the assembling plant.
How does one minimise these production-phase impacts? Choose used vehicles. When a consumer buys a used car or motorcycle, they bypass the adverse impacts of producing a brand-new vehicle. The second-hand vehicle can also be refurbished with new parts to make it more fuel-efficient, less polluting, and less taxing on the environment.
Besides, just because a vehicle runs on an electric or hybrid motor does not mean it is kinder to the environment. If that electricity is powered by coal, then that is still problematic. In an ideal world, all EVs would be powered by renewable energy, but we are not quite there yet. In fact, ditching a roadworthy vehicle for an EV option may do more harm than good. When more people replace their vehicles within a few years, it increases the demand for new vehicles, thereby spiking the carbon impact via the production phase.
Reuse vehicles, bring down climate footprint
Will extending the life of older vehicles lead to a drop in the carbon footprint? Research from Japan suggests as much, stating that if vehicle owners held on to their cars for just 10 percent longer, the domestic carbon footprint from cars would decrease by 30.7 million tonnes.
Emissions are a serious problem globally, with 99 percent of the world’s urban population breathing polluted air and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions increasing by 6 percent in 2021 to their highest level ever. From a social development perspective, both manufacturers and consumers should consider clean energy and mobility goals as well as identify and avoid over-consumption patterns in order to reduce the overall climate impact and improve the lives of people everywhere.
Any used vehicle that is well-maintained, offers low mileage, and has an engine that’s in top shape is a good choice for consumers and the environment. Whenever somebody buys, rents, or even pays a monthly subscription for a used car or two-wheeler, they say ‘yes’ to a greener mode of transport.
(The author is co-founder of DriveX. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.)
