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International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)

e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 10 Issue: 07 | July 2023

p-ISSN: 2395-0072

www.irjet.net

How Clean is the Green? Electric Vehicles the Way Forward Ananya Chowdhery, Samarthya Bindlish 1Student Grade 12, Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana, Punjab, India 2Student Grade 10, Vivek High School, Chandigarh, India

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Abstract - Humanity has come a long way, particularly where development is concerned. Unfortunately, we have paid a heavy price for it too. Man has encroached upon nature, and now is reeling under the after-effects of the same. With the effects of pollution and subsequently climate change felt acutely by one and all, the entire world is in a race to discover quick fixes for it. In this attempt, electric vehicles are being hailed as the magical formula that will deliver us from the evils of environmental pollution. It has the ‘clean’ label attached to it. But are they as ‘clean’ as is being claimed? This question is especially of vital importance when it comes to a country like India. India has seen a meteoric rise in the last few decades. It’s on the fast-track road to development but at the heavy price of forsaking the environment. The necessity to change the development track to take environmental sustainability into account is of utmost importance. So, the question that arises is, are EVs really right for India? Do we really have the infrastructure in place to claim EVs to be the elixir vitae delivering us from the evils of environmental pollution? Will it really be the panacea we are hoping it to be, or are we running after a mirage? Key Words: Electric vehicle, India, Carbon footprint, Electricity, Fossil fuel, Environment, Lithium

1. INTRODUCTION History has taught us that economic development and environmental degradation go hand in hand. We have always impinged upon nature and the environment for industrialization and urbanization. We might have progressed over the suffering of nature, but now this trade-off is threatening our own survival. Humans have realised that they cannot lord and master over nature. There is a dire need for development to work along with environmental preservation. Now we need safe progressprogress where we are progressing whilst keeping our environment safe. In the race for finding safer, cleaner solutions, hunting for solutions for vehicular pollution is among the forerunners. The transport industry alone is responsible for 25% of all emissions that are emitted into the atmosphere, with road transport accounting for 75% of those emissions. The advent of electric vehicles is slowly but surely revolutionising the transport sector. It is being hailed as the Di catholicon that will deliver us from the evils of the automobile industry. It has the ‘clean’ label attached to it. But ever since they have been rolled on the roads, the ‘clean’ label is under constant scrutiny. Are they as ‘clean’ as they claim? Are they really the solution to the environmental pollution we have desperately sought? India is on the fast-track road to development. But we are paying a heavy price for it by sacrificing the quality of the environment around us. The smog conditions of North India and the fact that quite a few Indian cities feature in the world’s most polluted cities is proof enough. Just as across the world people of India are looking forward to electric vehicles on roads believing them to ease the pressure on the environment. The projected rate of growth just for India alone is supposed to be 35% until 2026. As the entire automobile industry is facing a radical shift, with an obvious inclination towards cleaner and greener vehicles, electric vehicles are becoming the norm. But the million-dollar question of how green these vehicles are remains unanswered. It is especially of vital importance when it comes to a country like India. Will it really be the panacea we are hoping it to be, or are we running after a mirage?

2. ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES There are several features of electric vehicles that are beneficial to the environment. As per data collected by various research organisations, electric vehicles help in improving air quality as they release a very small amount of greenhouse gases and air pollutants as compared to conventional cars. Their carbon dioxide emissions while driving is almost nil as they do not have any tailpipe emissions. 1.5 million grams of CO2 on an estimate is saved by an electric car. Electric vehicles are much quieter than regular cars thereby reducing noise pollution considerably. In fact, it is said that with electric vehicles streets are cleaner and quieter, thereby making the cities more peaceful for all and especially the pedestrians and cyclists. The running costs of electric vehicles are pocket friendly too. To cover the same distance as compared to conventional cars, the cost of charging an electric car is 40% less than the cost of refueling. With the advent of charging stations at all destinations,

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