Rethinking Electric Vehicles: Life-Cycle Trade-Offs across Climate, Communities, and Ecosystems 15 views

Electric Vehicles (EV) are generally regarded as an important means of reducing emissions. However, the specific impacts of EVs will change with time and place but remain largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, this study summarizes the environmental and social impacts of the global popularity of EVs from research utilizing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), sustainable life cycle assessment (S-LCA) and multi-site case studies integrating environmental, social and ecological perspectives. These insights as well as 2024 World Electric Vehicle Outlook research data are important for synthesizing and improved our understanding of issues related to the popularization of EVs, development of clean energy, establishment of fair and transparent supply chain systems, and integration of financing mechanisms to mitigate the impact of climate change in the field of renewable energy. The results from this work highlight that the sustainability of EVs is based on three basic principles: clean energy integration, responsible use of natural resources and environmental restoration. In the United States, the emissions of EVs depend on energy efficiency. In Chile and Indonesia, the mining of lithium and nickel is associated with poor resource management and negative social impacts. Additionally, the evidence of air pollution in the Arctic may impact the popularity of EVs in other regions. However, research showing that the EVs can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions has resulted in a downplay of the negative impact associated with their production and use. Results show that there is a need to highlight the role of energy, mining and pollution in understanding EVs and their impact.

MA (Master of Arts)

English

All rights reserved by the author (no additional license for public reuse)

2026-04-29