Clean Cars, Dirty Secrets: The EV Episode

Think your electric vehicle is saving the planet? Think again. In this eye-opening episode, we pop the hood on the EV revolution to expose the uncomfortable truths the car companies don't want you to know. From child labor in cobalt mines to the dirty secrets of battery production, we're charging straight into the dark side of clean energy. 

We'll calculate the real carbon footprint of your Tesla, explore the hidden environmental costs of battery manufacturing, and ask the awkward question: are we just trading one form of pollution for another? Plus, we'll break down the true cost of ownership that those glossy showroom brochures conveniently forget to mention.

#ElectricVehicles #EVMyths #CleanEnergy #TeslaReality #BatteryProduction #GreenTech #SustainabilityTruth #CobaltMining #EVCosts #CleanCarMyths #RealEVImpact #BatteryWaste #GreenWashing #EVTruth

Transcript

Recording from a DRC cobalt mine where his lungs are as contaminated as the groundwater, it's your host, Donovan.

Welcome back to Deep Dives in the Shallow end. I'm your not-so-expert host, Donovan here again to give you another episode where we rip off the shiny veneer of modern society and see what rusty parts lie beneath. 

Today, we’re tackling electric vehicles—the shiny metal messiahs of the environment that just might come with more strings attached than my wife's rules for a free pass because apparently choosing the blonde next door who looks like a luscious Lane Bryant model wasn't within the spirit of the game; it's supposed to be a celebrity or someone unattainable. Well fine, because the neighbor is way out of my league already. And bad news for me, Wilford Brimley and the rest of the sexy cast members from Cocoon are already dead, and I'm not desperate enough to pick Steve Guttenberg. In any case, I'm sleeping on the couch for another couple nights.

Deep Dives in the Shallow End

What were we talking about? Oh yeah, electric cars! Picture this: the year is 2035, and everyone is zipping around in their EVs, proudly waving goodbye to fossil fuels like a toddler saying bye-bye to his innocence after watching his dad get dragged out of an Eagles game for being a little too much -- and that's saying something because this is Philly we're talking about. Except... maybe these EVs are not all sunshine and rose-tinted rainbows. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a darker, more offensive truth to this electrifying revolution that may cause a gasp or two - like me when I take off my Spanx. Let’s dig in.

Electric vehicles. The saviors of humanity, riding in on shiny lithium-powered steeds. Just think og it: a planet saved by Teslas and Leafs (or is it Leaves, Leafi? -- forget it, who cares), everyone driving around with halos on their heads, a chorus of angels humming "Highway to the Danger Zone" as we collectively fight climate change. Elon Musk grins from atop Mount Olympus, an eagle pecking at his liver in some kind of ironic twist. Okay, maybe not exactly like that—but a guy can dream.

You know, people love to talk about how electric vehicles (EVs) are going to save the planet. They say, "Hey, it's a car that doesn’t need gas—end of story! We're all heroes!" And don’t get me wrong: the idea of unplugging from the fossil fuel machine and plugging into, well, your garage sounds pretty amazing, until you realize that you have to share a plug with your mom's jacuzzi and the sooner mama gets her soak, the sooner she'll be passed out drunk and I can finally fuel up to ensure a full Uber shift tomorrow. But, as they say, there's no such thing as a free lunch—or in this case, a free ride. Let’s unpack the actual cost of electric vehicles, and I don’t just mean how much they’ll drain your wallet.

Part 1: The Financial Toll

Let's start with the sticker shock. Everyone likes to talk about how cheap EVs are to run. Sure, the fuel costs are low compared to fossil fuels. Charging your car might even feel like getting away with something—like your own little uprising against Standard Oil. But that doesn't change the fact that buying an EV is like getting into a fancy country club. You get to look cool and morally superior, but at a serious price. And in my case, it is really just highlighting that I am living way beyond my means.

Take the average price of a new EV in the United States: about $58,000, compared to around $45,000 for a gasoline-powered vehicle. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average price for an electric vehicle in 2023 is almost 29% higher than that of an internal combustion car; that's blackmarket kidney prices. And if you try to save a buck by going used, good luck -- the battery that is. Regarding the kidney, take what you can get -- believe me, it's a sellers market and daddy just made a killing. But EV batteries degrade over time—so unless you want your range to feel like a punchline where the last half of your Uber ride becomes the world's most depressing rickshaw, then you're going to have to pull our your wallet.

Of course, there are the famous government rebates. Ah, sweet, sweet subsidies— in this case, the equivalent of superglue to close up that wound after being gut shot. The federal EV tax credit can be up to $7,500, depending on the model. And while it’s not meant to cover all actual long-term costs, it is important to remember, the battery alone costs around $10,000 to replace—and you're unlikely to find a Groupon for that.

And let’s not ignore the cost of setting up a home charging station. According to the Department of Energy, installing a Level 2 charger at home can cost between $1,000 and $2,500. Sure, plugging your EV into a standard wall outlet works if you don’t mind waiting until the second coming, but for the convenience of overnight charging, most people opt for installing a Level 2 charger at home. And if you’re renting, well, good luck convincing your landlord that rewiring the garage is a worthy investment. If they go for that, see if you upsell them on a sauna installation, they're lovely, and you might as well strike while the iron's hot.

Then there’s the maintenance—or the supposed lack thereof. People often tout EVs as being almost maintenance-free because they don’t have oil changes or transmission issues. But they do have their own set of unique problems. According to a study by We Predict, maintenance costs for EVs can actually be higher during the first three years compared to gasoline-powered cars, largely due to tire wear, electrical system repairs, and the costs associated with cooling systems for the batteries. The brakes, for instance, often need more frequent checks because regenerative braking can sometimes lead to odd wear patterns --  like my thighs if I don't apply cornstarch every second hour. Tires on EVs also tend to wear out faster because of the weight of the battery.

Part 2: The Human Cost - Blood Batteries

Speaking of batteries, let’s talk about the part of the EV conversation that gets swept under the rug faster than my cracker crumbs because I'm a lazy slob. I’m talking about lithium, cobalt, nickel—the cocktail of metals that makes these batteries work, and like any good cocktail can give you a wicked buzz.

A lot of the cobalt that ends up in EV batteries comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where about 70% of the world’s cobalt supply is sourced. And it's about as ethically sourced as the diamond grill that I wear when I hit the clubs when I roll though southwest Atlanta -- they know what they're doing down there. 

But according to Amnesty International, cobalt mining in Congo often involves child labor, with estimates suggesting tens of thousands of children working under hazardous conditions. Think child labor, unsafe working conditions, and a human rights nightmare that’s about as cheery as the baby that would be produced after Dickens' and Tolstoy's long weekend in Niagara Falls—it can't be helped, the place just gets everyone a little randy.  Trust me, if you've never been, go -- thank me later.

The mining of cobalt is not just a humanitarian issue but an ecological one as well. According to a study published in "Nature Sustainability," cobalt mining often results in significant habitat destruction, water pollution, and the release of toxic metals into nearby water supplies. Artisanal miners, who are often working under extremely hazardous conditions, dig by hand to extract the cobalt, sometimes at the cost of their health—or their lives. Think of the green future we hope to enjoy in the west, and then turn it on its head, mix it with the 6th or 7th circle from Boticelli's Map of Hell and you're starting to get a rough idea of what these folks are going through currently.

And let’s not forget the environmental toll of mining these metals. Extracting lithium is a process that requires a lot of water— 500,000 gallons per metric ton of lithium, to be precise, according to the Institute for Energy Research. In places like Chile’s Atacama Desert, lithium mining is diverting and depleting water sources that local farmers and indigenous communities rely on. This has caused water levels to drop significantly, affecting not only agriculture but also the availability of potable water for local communities. So, while you might be sipping a latte and smugly charging your EV, someone else is dealing with dried-up fields. It’s almost biblical—except instead of the cool imagery like Moses turning rivers to blood, we’ve got multinational mining companies sucking lakes dry, either way neither the Egyptians nor Chilenos have seen their thirst abated.

Oh, and let’s talk about nickel. Most EV batteries require high-grade nickel, which is often mined in places like Indonesia. The extraction process has been linked to significant deforestation, releasing approximately 300,000 tons of waste annually into surrounding ecosystems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Local communities frequently bear the brunt of the environmental and health impacts, while the rest of us get to drive around feeling like heroes because we saved a tufted titmouse here. Meanwhile we've  helped to decimate another streak of Sumatran Tigers and their habitat. It’s a classic example of out of sight, out of mind—unless you happen to live downstream from a nickel mine, in which case, not is it very much in sight, it's very much in your drinking and groundwater.

Now, cobalt, lithium, and nickel are not the only metals needed. Graphite is another critical component of these batteries. According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, much of the world's natural graphite comes from China, where the mining process is far from green. Between air pollution, water contamination, and the waste generated by mining, graphite extraction adds another environmental wrinkle to the so-called "clean" future. And synthetic graphite? Well, it's not much better, as producing it requires high temperatures and a significant amount of energy. No matter which way you slice it, mining for these metals comes at a human and environmental cost. In fact, China has already faced severe ecological damage from mining activities, with entire villages forced to relocate due to pollution, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme.

To that end, in many cases, it’s the indigenous communities who suffer the most from this mining activity. In South America, indigenous groups have been displaced or lost access to clean water because of lithium mining in the salt flats. These communities, who often rely on traditional agriculture and livestock, are faced with irreversible changes to their environment while receiving few of the economic benefits, like when I bought the land where the neighborhood garden was so that I could lease it to the government as a chemical waste dump. The soil is ruined and I haven't seen a honey bee in about 8 months, but cha ching, papa's gettin' paid! 

The same story echoes in Indonesia and Africa—those who have lived on these lands for generations are forced to bear the environmental and social costs of a "green revolution" they rarely benefit from.  It's like that homemade flux capacitor that powers my house; it only runs on the tears and hopes of the impoverished, but they're not American, and my house stays a crisp 70 degrees year-round, so we're good.

But making an EV is not a particularly green process. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, manufacturing an electric car—especially that behemoth battery—produces significantly more emissions than making a conventional car. Estimates suggest that building an EV generates about 70-80% more emissions compared to a gasoline car. So, for the first few years of driving your new EV, you’re just working off that massive carbon debt—like Sisyphus, lugging that battery up the never-ending hill. And like Sisyphus, you're steadfast in your belief that you made the right choice and will likely die on that hill.

And then there's the power itself. You might imagine your EV getting its juice from a serene wind farm or a shiny solar array, and yes, some of it likely is. 

But the sad reality is that much of the electricity in the U.S. still comes from fossil fuels. In 2022, about 60% of the electricity generated in the U.S. came from natural gas, coal, and petroleum, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Charging your EV isn’t as guilt-free as it looks; like when I house a Taco Bell's Fiesta Taco Salad. I mean, it has the word salad in the name -- it must be healthy, right?

Let’s not forget the concept of battery disposal. EV batteries don’t last forever. Eventually, they degrade to a point where they are no longer usable, and then what? According to Circular Energy Storage, only about 5% of lithium-ion batteries are currently recycled. Recycling these batteries is no simple task—it involves breaking down highly toxic materials, and the infrastructure for doing so is still very much in its infancy -- like my gut after years of survival on heavily processed sugar and carbohydrates and disturbing lack of fiber. While some companies like Redwood Materials are making strides in battery recycling, the majority of old EV batteries are still ending up in landfills or stockpiled in warehouses, with all the time in the world to plot their daring escape back out into the world where they can have their revenge.

And as the demand for EVs grows, so does the need for these precious metals. More demand means more mining, more destruction, and more carbon emissions during production. It’s a feedback loop that feels a lot less like saving the planet and more like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic -- which really seemed unnecessary at the time -- I mean, the ship was going down.  I always felt like those Feng Shue enthusiasts' time would have been better spent trying to find a lifeboat or even an oversized piece of driftwood that some selfish lady had to have all to herself, but what do I know, maybe they were trying to provide a more zen safe space amidst the chaos.

Adding to this is the underdeveloped infrastructure for creating a circular economy around EV components. We need more investment in recycling technologies to mitigate the environmental footprint of discarded EV batteries. Companies like Li-Cycle and Redwood Materials are pioneering efforts to close the loop on battery materials, but the scale is still far too small compared to the looming influx of EV batteries needing recycling. The goal should be not just to minimize waste but to recover and reuse as much of the original material as possible, making the entire lifecycle greener. Like how my family washes and rewashes ziplock bags until they have more holes in them than a conspiracy theory -- or my undies. When my zip locks become more of a sieve for my corn nuts than a way to lock in freshness, we've gone too far.

Part 4: The Infrastructure Problem - Range Anxiety and Potholes

And let’s talk about actually driving one of these things. The phrase "range anxiety" sounds like something cooked up by Freud—maybe a cousin of "Oedipus complex"—but without any of the benefits. According to a 2021 study by J.D. Power, range anxiety remains the number one concern for potential EV buyers, with 30% of consumers citing it as a barrier to purchase. If you’ve ever found yourself sweating bullets at 2 AM, frantically Googling the nearest charging station in a town that still thinks sundown laws were a boon, then you'll know what I mean. Charging an EV isn’t exactly like pulling into any corner gas station and filling up. Charging stations are still, let’s say, a "developing concept." Sure, they’re expanding, but they're still like trying to find good soul food in Harrison, Arkansas!

And once you do find a charging station, there’s the time. Oh, the time -- the most valuable of all resources; well that and physical attractiveness -- or so I've heard. While filling up your gas tank takes a matter of minutes, charging an EV can take anywhere from half an hour to overnight. The average public chargers can take 30-40 minutes to give you an 80% charge, according to the Department of Energy (although that seems to be improving rapidly). So, unless you enjoy waiting in the parking lot of a Whole Foods for the better part of an hour, you might start to question whether this whole "green driving" thing is worth it. Although if you're an EV lover at a Whole Foods, you can walk around the parking lot to see the panoply of other Teslas while you wait -- they come in very exciting colors like black and white.

Also, the lack of universal charging standards can make things even trickier. Not every charging station is compatible with every type of EV, which means you could find yourself at a charging station only to discover that it's useless to you—like when I was being picked for the kickball team at recess being greeted by my teammates with an exasperated "fine."

And let’s not ignore the potential strain on the electric grid. Imagine everyone coming home after work and plugging in their EV at the same time. According to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, widespread EV adoption could increase U.S. electricity demand by up to 38% by 2050. The power grid, already teetering under high demand, we may start to feel like Chief Brody hosting a pleasure cruise of Cape Cod; we're gonna need a bigger boat! Power outages and increased demand could become more frequent, especially in areas where the infrastructure hasn’t been upgraded to meet the new challenges.

There are also regional disparities when it comes to grid capacity. In states like California, where renewable energy makes up a larger share of the energy mix, the grid struggles during peak periods, especially when solar power wanes in the evenings. This could mean that charging your EV after work coincides with peak demand times, leading to potential brownouts or increased reliance on fossil fuel-based "peaker" plants. Rural areas, meanwhile, may struggle even more as power infrastructure there is often outdated and less capable of handling new loads -- think mom-and-pop shops when Walmart comes to town; they're gonna have their ears boxed and told to git! 

According to the Department of Transportation, as of 2023, nearly 80% of all charging infrastructure is concentrated in metropolitan areas, leaving rural regions vastly underserved. For folks who live in less populated areas, the promise of an all-electric future can feel pretty hollow. It’s like a cosmic joke where everyone is in on the punchline except the people who actually need a reliable car to travel long distances.

And don’t even get me started on the people who have to live in places without garages or access to regular charging—what are they supposed to do? I can't wait to see someone running a daisy-chained hodgepodge of extension chords from thewindow of their 5th story walkup only to find out by the morning that they're at 5 percent. Turns out the well-meaning homeless gentleman who lives on the block needed to charge up his contactless credit card reader -- it's annoying, but you have to appreciate his dedication to adapting to the times and he just wants a bite to eat.

And what about road trips? You know, those quintessential American experiences where a family already teetering on the edge of utter carnage thinks it would be a good idea to hit the open road for a few days in close quarters? With an EV, your road trip now includes extensive planning and route mapping around charging stops. Suddenly the charm of spontaneity is replaced by the cold, hard reality of logistics. It’s hard to feel like Jack Kerouac when you’re stranded in a Southside Chicago Walmart parking lot waiting for the only charger that hasn't been stripped for copper.

Part 5: The Nostalgic Wrap-Up - Is It Worth It?

Look, I’m not here to tell you that EVs are evil. They’re not. They’re a step in the right direction, like me adding corn as a vegetable into my diet. It's popcorn loaded with salt and drenched in butter, but I take my wins where I can. And the use of EVs are certainly better than guzzling gasoline until we are fighting to the death for petrochemicals in a barren Mad-Maxian hellscape, but without the benefits of leather jackets and flamethrower guitars -- yeah, that's how bleak it will be, people -- just a boring old post-apocalyptic murderfest with a relatively low density of particulate matter in the air. Well not on my watch and certainly not in my America! 

America the beautiful!

But the point is, electric vehicles aren’t some magic bullet. They have costs—real, tangible costs—and we need to be honest about them. Whether it's the human cost of mining, the environmental toll of production, the anxiety-inducing infrastructure, or the worst of all possibilities -- the financial toll on the Western consumer, the story isn’t as simple as "electric equals good."

The reality is that we need a balanced approach. EVs are a piece of the puzzle, but they’re not the whole picture. We need better infrastructure, improved battery recycling methods, and cleaner ways to generate electricity. According to the World Resources Institute, investing in grid improvements and renewable energy expansion is crucial if EVs are going to have the positive environmental impact that’s often advertised. And maybe, just maybe, we should all rethink our obsession with driving everywhere and consider investing in public transportation and urban planning that encourages walking and cycling. After all, there’s no reason the future has to be paved in lithium. So, get on the blower with your representatives and demand change and then threaten that you will withhold taxes if they don't capitulate -- and then get back to me and let me know how that works out.

We also need to invest in alternative battery technologies. Solid-state batteries, for instance, could reduce the reliance on problematic metals like cobalt and nickel. According to Toyota, solid-state batteries are expected to have greater energy density and could extend the driving range of EVs significantly. Hydrogen fuel cells, although not perfect, offer another route for clean transportation, particularly for heavier vehicles. By diversifying our approach to clean energy, we can avoid putting all our eggs in the lithium-ion basket.

So, the next time you see someone smugly glide by in their EV, just remember: every revolution has its price. And in this case, that price involves some very real problems, after all, progress is messy—and, much like the cooking conditions at a fried chicken joint, there's always something going on behind the scenes that we aren't seeing, and probably don't want to. But hey, at least we’re trying, right?

And that's all for our show; thank you so much for listening, it means the world to me. Until next time, take care of yourselves and others, and I hope you'll join me again when we take something seemingly positive and joyful and ruin it.

Shallow end

Deep Dives in the Shallow End

Deep Dives in the Shallow End