There is a common misconception among many individuals that electric vehicles are less hazardous to environment when compared to fuel powered vehicles. Well, this ignorance has simply led to an increase in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Just because electric vehicles do not release smoke, it doesn’t mean that they contribute nothing to environmental pollution. Though electric vehicles do not release smoke directly, the source where electricity is generated by burning of fossil fuels causes much more pollution than fuel powered vehicles.
Electric vehicles do not cause air pollution, but the approach of producing electricity does. It is estimated that more than 60% of electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels like gas and coal, which are non-renewable sources of energy. Which literally means an electric vehicle produces as much pollution caused by a petrol or diesel vehicle.
Due to increased fuel prices in India, many are substituting fuel powered vehicles with electric vehicles, but there is no guarantee that electricity prices will stay constant due to increased demand in the future. Even though electricity produced by renewable sources like wind power, solar energy and hydropower contribute little to pollution, the infrastructure needed is lacking in India. Heavy expenditure is needed for building this infrastructure.
The nuclear power plants, where most of the electricity is generated, produce radio-active waste which emits radio-active particles which can be a risk to human health and the environment if not managed properly. There are various accidents like Fukushima disaster, SL-1 meltdown and Chernobyl disaster which affected both man and environment.
If anyone is so interested in saving mother earth, do it by adopting renewable sources of energy like hydropower, geothermal, wind, solar, etc. Not everyone is aware of the threat posed by electric vehicles. Recently, various companies like Ola and Bounce have started renting their scooters with affordable prices and a great substitute for fuel powered vehicles because of their increased prices.
