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Is platinum used in electric cars?

I’m interested in buying an electric car because I’m very eco-conscious, and I don’t want to keep polluting every time I get in my car. However, someone told me that electric cars use platinum, and will quickly deplete the world's platinum supplies, which are already rare. This has me worried. Is platinum used in EV electric cars?

avatar
Bellina Gaskey · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Great question! Platinum is not used in electric cars right now. Platinum is being researched as an option for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, but that research is still underway.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars aren’t exactly electric cars. In these vehicles, hydrogen passes through platinum catalysts, and this produces electricity. That electricity is then used to power the car. So instead of charging a battery pack that supplies power to the electric motor, burning hydrogen supplies the power.
This is similar to the way that some [hybrid]
https://getjerry.com/electric-vehicles/electric-car-or-hybrid-quiz-for-your-needs
) vehicles work, with one source of power, in the case of a hybrid, an internal combustion engine, providing the electricity. In the case of a hybrid, the electricity is stored in a battery pack and then sent to the electric motor.
Electric cars
as they are right now only use electricity. They have a battery pack that gets charged, and then expends that electricity on the electric motor that moves the wheels. Hydrogen isn’t used in current models at all.
If hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are found to be a viable alternative to electric vehicles, use of platinum could grow exponentially. However, as research still has yet to show whether hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are as eco-friendly as electric vehicles, or if burning hydrogen will have environmental impacts, there is still time before platinum is largely mined and used in EVs.
No matter whether you drive a hybrid or fully electric,you need affordable insurance.
Jerry
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