Living Planet Greener Living Ep 1 – Should we all ditch our cars for EVs?
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Jul 25, 2025 Connor Dillon, an early EV adopter, shares his journey into electric vehicle ownership, revealing his personal motivations and practical charging experiences. He discusses the real impacts of battery materials and highlights the social and environmental issues tied to cobalt mining. Connor also touches on how EVs can support the power grid and reflects on the benefits of driving electric, including fun acceleration. However, he notes the drawbacks of larger electric SUVs regarding tire wear and microplastic pollution.
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Production vs Operating Emissions
- Electric cars often have higher production emissions but much lower operating emissions, shifting the lifecycle balance.
- In many countries an EV's production 'carbon debt' is paid off within a few years of driving depending on grid cleanliness.
Impacts Depend On Which Pollution You Count
- Environmental impact depends on which emission category you prioritize, like greenhouse gases versus air pollution.
- EVs look good on greenhouse gases but can be worse for air quality where electricity comes from coal.
Combustion Cars Are Generally More Carbon Intensive
- Aggregated estimates show combustion cars have about 40% greater lifetime CO2 than EVs.
- The majority of combustion-car emissions come from tailpipe exhaust causing global emissions and local pollution.