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How much carbon emissions come from electric car production?

So…I got into a debate with some co-workers when we went to Olive Garden (or the OG as we like to say) the other night about how eco-friendly and sustainable electric cars actually are. There were lots of different opinions on this, so I’m curious, are electric vehicles as clean as people claim they are?

avatar
Elaine Duvet · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
That’s great that you’re able to share diverse thoughts and opinions with your work friends. And I get it, there’s a lot of misinformation and
clever marketing
out there! Carbon emissions are on many carmakers’ minds, as more and more of them are pledging to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2025.** But as far as current EV production, it may not be as eco-friendly as you think.**
Here are the facts we know about carbon emissions for electric car production:
  • About half of the carbon emissions an electric car will produce come from the actual production of the car.
  • A typical new EV has already** contributed** to about 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emission by the time you see it hit the showroom. Whoa, nelly! That’s about 16,000 more pounds than an internal combustion car would cause.
  • Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are the lifeblood of electric cars, and they rely on graphite, cobalt, lithium, and manganese. Sourcing these minerals involves energy and an additional set of processes and labor to trace them.
  • There are also ethical concerns and human rights violations when mining for minerals in Latin America, China, and Africa.
Now that you know more about the energy and resources used to manufacture an electric car, you can be well-informed for your future discussions. And keep those free breadsticks coming!
It’s also a good idea to be properly informed about the best car insurance rates, as most of us overpay for our policy every month! Have a question about your coverage? Download the
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