This is definitely part of the EV discussion. Cobalt sourcing is troubling. Battery disposal is another nasty business.
I think the carbon emissions comparisons have been done when it comes to total energy involved and the EVs still come out a little better on a per mile basis than gas power, even on coal-burning plants. And obviously it gets significantly better when you start talking about nuclear and renewable power.
It’s called “well to wheel” emissions - recognizing that you have to account for EV power creation. The government studies that have looked to compare them have concluded that even when you include the energy consumption involved in creating the battery, the total emissions that can be accounted to the EV is still meaningfully lower than with gasoline cars, on average, and as the share of total US power produced with gas and green plants grows every year - a trend that further reduces total emissions for the EV. Of course mpg gains on the gas side also have a positive trend.
I think the range remains a problem for many people. Daily driving is great but many people have access to only one car but do, from time to time, need to go more than 250 miles in a day. Even if it’s just a handful of times a year, it seems that the sort of interstate off-ramp refueling stations aren’t common at all - and recharge times can still be lengthy.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/energy...an-driving-on-gasoline-everywhere-in-america/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ounds-of-coal-to-fuel-that-electric-road-trip