Building EVs Worse For Environment Than Gas-Powered Cars

If we told you a decade ago that Ford would release two electric vehicles - one badged as a Mustang and one being an F-150 truck - you wouldn't have believed us. But here we are in 2021 and both theMustang Mach-Eand theF-150 Lightningexist. Each is proof that electric powertrains are no longer just lauded for zero tailpipe emissions but they are good enough to be used in almost any vehicle type.

However, the specific construction requirements of EVs have a downside in terms of carbon emissions that Simon Powell from global thematic research firm Jefferies has termed "embedded carbon". This puts them at a disadvantage relative to an equivalent gas vehicle.

Due to theextra weight of EVs, they are at a disadvantage when they leave the factory. Their bodies contain more steel, the battery packs weigh a lot, and systems like the brakes have to be reinforced to cope. All of this increases the rate at which carbon is released when EVs are manufactured relative to gas-powered vehicles.

"To gain the environmental dividend that governments are looking for, users are going to have to keep them longer [and] drive them further than they may have done with a conventional internal combustion energy vehicle," said Powell when speaking to CNBC's Street Signs Asia. No specific indication was given on how much further an EV would need to be driven to offset the carbon emissions during production.