- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/54617060
Ford CEO Jim Farley is warning that Europe could undermine its own carmakers if it keeps setting ambitious EV rules and then backing away from them when buyers do not follow
That stop-start approach, he says, leaves automakers designing products and plants for targets that may not stick, all while dealing with tariffs, content rules and rising costs.
And we’re going to continue ignoring the extreme environmental damage that mining for lithium causes?
I guess my main argument is we either make mass producing EVs far more environmentally friendly or we find a better alternative to lithium.
Yes, I completely agree with that. But drilling for more oil (and burning it) is certainly not an option.
There already are alternatives to lithium batteries, they currently have some downsides. For example there are sodium ion batteries which are cheap and much more environmentally friendly, but do not have the same energy density. There are already (Chinese) cars that use that type of battery, mainly in the „entry level“ segment.
Sodium ion is certainly promising, particularly for large vehicles that have more space for the batteries. I definitely look forward to how that tech progresses and possible becomes even more optimized over time.
I don’t think drilling/burning oil is the optimal path. I just don’t see another way forward that drastically reduces emissions within a short span of time. Hybrids may not be the answer, but they could certainly be part of the effort.
Additionally, cars are only a few drops in the overall CO2 bucket. We need to fully go into renewables and/or nuclear energy. It is also absolutely critical to figure out how to drastically reduce or fully eliminate emissions from cargo ships and airplanes, as they account for far more emissions than cars do. Lastly, we need to drastically reduce or fully eliminate meat farming, as they produce a fuckton of methane, not to mention the intensive amount of water and other resources it takes.
Anyway, yeah, it’s a cluster fuck of crises.
Fully agree, these crises will not be solved by some battery tech alone.
@bassomitron
Blablabla. - you just want to be contrary without thinking too much, it seems?
Of course we are looking for better options. In what version of reality do you think we wouldn’t? Seriously. Just think for a second there.
If at this point you were to bring up fossil fuels, you would most definitely disqualify yourself from the discussion.
Being an asshole isn’t conducive to constructive discussion, either. So, ironic for you to dismiss my opinion in such a haphazard way while ignoring what I’m actually saying.
Of course I am aware of the global effort to find better battery technologies. Yet, outside of sodium ion, everything is largely dependent on lithium ion. Lithium is extremely destructive to the local ecosystems it’s mined from.
Lastly, where the fuck do you think the majority of electricity is being produced from in large swathes of the planet? Cars absolutely need to have zero emissions. But, transitioning literal billions of vehicles to EV in a short span of time (~10 years) would require an unfathomable amount of batteries.
The most ideal solution, of course, would invest much more effort into zero emissions mass public transit. But, again, where is all that money going to come from?
The obvious answer is that there is no obvious solution that the public will leap to embrace. And even if the masses do embrace it, they’re still handicapped by their income.
So tell me, how the fuck are EVs going to solve the overall crisis that is climate change in a realistic time span at the current conversion rates, that also doesn’t destroy ecosystems? Not to mention all the toxic battery waste when tens of thousands of EVs start being totaled/decommissioned once they’re mass adopted.
These problems are nuanced and complicated, so I guess I grow tired of people like you finger wagging and acting like they fucking have all the answers.