EV Boom Raises New Pollution Fears in India
While India’s rapid electric vehicle (EV) adoption aims to reduce carbon emissions and fossil fuel dependence, a new study highlights growing environmental costs tied to EV use—raising concerns about microplastic pollution, battery waste, and coal-based power dependency.
Electric vehicles, due to their heavy battery packs weighing between 300–900 kg, are on average 15–20% heavier than conventional fuel-powered vehicles. This added weight accelerates tyre wear, releasing microplastics that contaminate both air and soil. Smaller particles remain airborne, exacerbating urban air quality concerns, while larger fragments settle on roads, impacting water and land ecosystems. The study further notes that EVs’ rapid torque and sudden braking contribute to intensified tyre friction, increasing the release of synthetic rubber and microplastic debris. These non-exhaust emissions, long overlooked, are not addressed by existing Indian air pollution standards, which mainly target PM2.5 and PM10 particles. In addition, the production of lithium-ion batteries—central to EV technology—comes with a heavy environmental footprint. Manufacturing a single EV can emit 16–19 tonnes of CO₂, nearly double the 7–10 tonnes for an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Extracting one tonne of lithium, a critical battery component, consumes nearly 1.89 million litres of water, often depleting local ecosystems. Despite growing adoption, India’s battery recycling infrastructure remains grossly inadequate. Most used or damaged EV batteries end up in landfills, where cobalt and lithium residues can persist for centuries, posing long-term environmental and health hazards.
Moreover, India’s power grid continues to rely heavily on coal, with thermal plants emitting between 800–850 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour—meaning the so-called “green” EVs are often powered by dirty energy. Many public EV charging stations still run on diesel generators, contradicting the low-emission intent of electric mobility. Policy gaps further complicate the EV transition. The E-waste Rules (2011, 2016, and 2018 amendment) lack a dedicated framework for safe battery disposal, while enforcement against illegal dumping remains weak. The absence of a central regulatory authority also fragments efforts across key ministries. Schemes like FAME-I and II and state-led incentives remain focused on urban 3-wheelers and buses, with rural areas left behind. A uniform roadmap for inter-city electrification and standardised charging protocols is still missing, limiting scalability. Moreover, high costs—upwards of ₹1 crore per charging station—deter private investment in infrastructure, especially outside major cities. India also remains dependent on lithium imports, with 70% of its battery cells sourced externally in 2023. There is no cohesive national strategy to secure critical minerals or promote alternative battery technologies such as sodium-ion cells.
To mitigate these risks, experts recommend prioritising green manufacturing powered by renewable energy, battery reuse, vehicle-to-grid integration, and a comprehensive circular economy framework. Models such as the EU’s “Battery Passport” could offer India a way forward in tracking carbon footprints and lifecycle impacts of EVs. As India pushes towards an electrified future, analysts stress that the goal must evolve from merely electrifying transport to greening the entire value chain—power, supply, production, and disposal. Without bold regulatory reform and systemic planning, India’s EV revolution may merely replace one form of pollution with another.
EV Boom Raises New Pollution Fears in India
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