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For a Tesla model Y battery. It takes up all of the space under the passenger compartment of the car.
To manufacture it you need:* 12 tons of rock to extract the Lithium. * 5 tons of rock to obtain the cobalt minerals (Most cobalt is made as a by product of the processing of copper and nickel ores. It is the most difficult material to obtain for a battery and the most expensive.) * 3 tons of nickel ore* 12 tons of copper ore
You must move 250 tons of soil to obtain:* 26.5 pounds of Lithium* 30 pounds of nickel * 48.5 pounds of manganese* 15 pounds of cobalt To manufacture the battery also requires:* 441 pounds of aluminium, steel and/or plastic * 112 pounds of graphite
The Caterpillar 994A is used for the earthmoving to obtain the essential minerals. It consumes on average of 264 gallons of diesel in 12 hours. Finally, you get a “zero emissions” car. Presently, the bulk of the necessary minerals for manufacturing the batteries come from China or Africa. If we buy electric cars, it's China who profits most! This 2021 Tesla Model Y OEM battery (the cheapest Tesla battery) is currently for sale on the internet in the USA for $4,999 not including shipping or installation. The battery weighs 1,000 pounds (you can imagine the shipping cost). The cost to replace Tesla batteries is: Model 3 -- $14,000+ (Car MSRP $38,990)Model Y -- $5,000–$5,500 (Car MSRP $47,740)Model S -- $13,000–$20,000 (Car MSRP $74,990)Model X -- $13,000+ (Car MSRP $79,990) It takes SEVEN years for an electric car to reach net-zero CO2. The life expectancy of the batteries is 10 years (average). Only in the last three years do you begin to reduce your carbon footprint.
Then the batteries must be replaced, and you lose all the gains you made in those three years. In addition, electric cars are heavier than cars powered by internal combustion engines and cause more wear and tear on tyres, bridges, and roads. They also increase the demand for electricity much of which in countries like China and India is generated by coal-fired power stations.
Question is, are Tesla’s and other similar electric cars really that green?
(Credit TM partners)