
Electric cars produce less CO2 than petrol vehicles, study confirms - GordonS
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/23/electric-cars-produce-less-co2-than-petrol-vehicles-study-confirms
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simonblack
There are three phases in the use of a product: manufacture, usage, and
destruction/recycling

It matters not if there is an advantage during the usage phase but
disadvantage during the manufacturing or the destruction phases.

Nuclear Reactors are a prime example: They are great during both the
manufacturing and usage phases, but the cost and pollution during the
destruction phase (where there is both danger to humans during dismantling,
and hugely expensive and dangerous disposal of nuclear waste)

Similarly with electric cars. It's useful life is OK, but .... What happens to
all those toxic batteries at the _end_ of the car's life? What happens to the
toxic byproducts of lithium-ion battery manufacturing at the _beginning_ of
the car's life? How much energy is expended (CO2 is produced) at those parts
of the car's life?

