Posts lie about the environmental impact of electric cars

Social media posts repeatedly shared in Australia claim that “500,000 tonnes (227 metric tones) of the earth’s crust” has been excavated for the purpose of mining the materials. One electric car battery. This is misleading. Experts said that the posts exaggerated earth needed to make one battery, and that electric vehicles had a smaller environmental impact that gasoline-powered vehicles.

“I have nothing against electric vehicles, but let’s not pretend that they are God’s gift to the atmosphere,” reads a TweetMatt Canavan, an Australian senator, is the representative of the National Party, which forms part of the ruling coalition.

He was retweeting an now-deleted tweet that stated: “To make each EV auto battery you must process 25,000 lbs of brine, 30,000 lbs of ore cobalt, 5,000 lbs of ore nickel, and 25,000 lb of ore copper.

“All in all, you can dig up 500,000 lbs of the earth’s soil for one battery.”

Screenshot of misleading post taken May 5, 2022

Screenshots from Canavan’s tweet have been shared in multiple Facebook posts. HereAnd HereAnd Here.

However, these claims can be misleading.

‘Gross exaggeration’

Peter NewmanCurtin University’s professor of sustainability in Australia said that the misleading tweet contained a “gross overamplification” and assumed that only one type was available for electric vehicles.

He said that it was difficult to estimate how much earth has been removed during mining. “Factors such geography, type/concentration raw materials and recovery rates all affect the outcome.”

Newman explained that depending on the type and size of the EV battery, each may require a different mining method and, therefore, a different amount or earth displacement.

The misleading claim that “500,000 pounds” of the earth’s crust are dug up to make an electric vehicle battery appears to have been made by a ReportManhattan Institute, which previously promoted climate change scepticism.

The claim was Experts interviewed by AFP refuted the assertions.

Environmental impact

Jake WhiteheadThe head of policy for Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council, stated that the amount of material used in the mining of raw materials to make electric vehicle batteries was “not a suitable metric for comparing environmental impacts”.

He said studiesStudies have shown that electric vehicles are still cheaper to make, maintain, produce and consume electricity than gasoline-powered cars.

“As stated in a recent ReportThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations, [EVs]AFP are crucial to global decarbonisation, and net-zero by 2020,” he said.

Whitehead stated that more than 90% of the materials used in making electric vehicle batteries are recyclable.

Marko PaakkinenResearch team leader at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland stated that while electric car battery production can have an effect on the environment, oil production for gasoline powered cars has an impact. He stated that spillages, accidents, and drilling can also cause environmental damage.

He stated that the thousands of kilograms of oil used by gasoline vehicles are not recyclable, unlike most other car components.

Berlin-based researcher Georg BiekerAccording to the International Council on Clean Transportation, criticizing the negative impact of mining for raw materials for batteries was “common narrative”.

He said, “Nevertheless, it’s right to demand improvement.”

Diamond mine

The photo in these posts was shared in a misleading setting.

It actually shows up in reverse image and keyword searches DiavikCanada has a diamond mine. Operated and ownedRio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian mining company.

The original image was PublishedCanadian regional news outlet NNSL Media

Below is a comparison of the image in the misleading postings (left) and that published by NNSL Media, (right)

Screenshot comparison of the misleading image (left) and the one posted to NNSL Media (right).