“Is it true that a Tesla creates more pollution than a conventional car?” It is part of the propaganda against electric vehicles (EVs), and all things green in general.
The only thing that could make an EV responsible for more CO2 during manufacturing is the battery. The motor and simple drivetrain will take a lot less than an engine and gear box in an ICEV.
The EV battery is not simply scrap materials when it finally parts company with the car. It will be down to 80% or less of its original capacity, but it can be repurposed for electrical storage for another 20 years or so if not recycled.
The pack can also be broken up and the good modules retrieved and reused to make refurbished battery packs. Conversely, the pack can be refurbished by replacing the dead cells or modules.
Finally, over 90% of a Li-ion cell is recyclable. So, the energy in creating the pack is never simply expended, as all of the negative comparisons try to maintain, but the mythical assumption lives on.
We need to move electricity generation to 100% renewables, and also move to all-electric homes and transport. Considerations of what advantages might or might not exist in the interim are not particularly relevant.
All ICE vehicles need to be taken off the road and replaced by electric as soon as possible.
Reference- Clean Technica, The Guardian, InsideEVs
