Sphere478 wrote on 2022-01-28, 19:01:
You get people taking about how bad EV batteries are for the enviroment or the EV themselves. But quote data from 20 years ago when EVs only went 100 miles and even then there was still a breakeven point where they became equals to their gas counterparts often at many miles though, but still a single spill in the gulf has caused more harm than all the EV battery mining to date. Another misnomer, not all lithium is mined, we can get it from evaporation of sea water.
I'm as pro-EV as they come, but fair is fair: the days of most new EV models only going 100 miles (or even less) are actually a lot more recent, more like 8 years ago. 😉 (Granted, Teslas at the time already had over twice that range, even then.)
Also, it's true that Lithium can be extracted from sea water, but this is a very energy-intensive process, and not economical, since there are many ways to source Lithium more cheaply. It is true, however, that world-wide Lithium supplies are abundant and more than enough required to eventually replace all ICE vehicles on the road with EVs.
You're also correct about Cobalt. LFP batteries rock. No Nickel or Cobalt needed, and they're cheaper, more durable and safer to boot. All at the cost of a slightly lower energy density, but still acceptable enough for Tesla to put them in some of their Model 3s.
But battery recycling technology (and world-wide recycling capacity) is expected to take off quickly as well, simply because these materials are too valuable to dump on landfills. There's gold in them thar spent batteries.
Speaking of spent batteries, over the last decade, it became clear that EV battery degradation turned out to be much less of an issue than initially feared, with the exception of some very hot regions. Even for prospective EV buyers there, thermal battery management has improved substantially in newer EV models in the last few years.
The EV revolution has only just started to ramp up.
Seriously, people: buying a new non-preowned ICE vehicle is about the most foolish investment you can make. The resale value (already bad) will plummet even further in the near future.
If you need to buy a car, and you absolutely have to get an ICE vehicle (and you really should do some research to challenge any assumptions there!), then try to get a pre-owned one as cheaply as possible. But if you still have a functional and safe car, and you can't afford an EV yet (or there isn't a model out yet that meets your needs), keep driving your old workhorse for a tad bit longer, and then get an EV later when you can. Seriously, don't waste money on a shiny new ICE vehicle. You'd regret it.
