What is the actual carbon footprint involving electric transportation?

A lot will depend on power generation. If the electricity is generated by burning coal and then transmitted with low efficiency over power lines, an electric car will generate a lot more carbon pollution than if the electricity is generated with nuclear reactors.

It probably depends a lot on how the electricity it uses is generated, coal or hydroelectric for example. I have no idea about the other factors like production and disposal, but I think those would be similar to non-electric vehicles.

Its sadly funny but, a the supply/demand for lithium increases, the "lithium triangle" countries are being outpaced by direct mining of "spod... or lithium mica ores" These are rather energy intensive an environmentally dirty processes but they create jobs. US is underlain by many many salt deposits that contain Li and can be "brine mined". The problem is the slow and tedious process of concentration of Li from the brine. The "triangle countries" have the best worlds in that Bolivia, Chile and Argentina are mostly desert or high desert and the brines can be concentrated by evapo pond transfer. In the US, our brines are in the Great Lakes States or in Louisiana/ Miss where its humid and the brines are a bit lower in [Li].

ALSO, Remember , energy is NOT a zero sum game its a Conservation Law of Physics. Even solar power is "mining the product of decay of the sun

Theres more than just a C footprint. Theres a misery and environmental "pollution process" footprint also.

True, but the sun is going to consume that fuel and radiate that energy no matter what we do.

We might as well take advantage of renewables as much we practically can within our current technological limitations.

That was merely for example of conservation of energy. Pure Solar will probably outstrip all "solar secondary derived" fuels (Fossil, nuke, as well as head and pressure) . Will thermonuke be a force?? perhaps, perhaps not. Today, We can more easily "mine" the energy gradient between atmospheric mass and vacuum of space.

The Sun is already "wasting" a lot of its energy by lighting up quadrillions of parsecs of empty space, so I'm not feeling too guilty about absorbing a tiny bit of it to power my toys.

I only mentioned that to remind us all that theres no forever free lunch. Im almost 80% solar at the fahm. Ill be 100% by next year with a propane bckup.
My energy demands are over th rainbow. The only thing I dislike is that solr requires us to be hooked up via the grid, so that when the grid is down, the solar is off (Safety). So when we are without grid power, I immediately click over to a 22Kw Generac.
I think Leadfoot told us that in Fla, he doesnt hqve to go through the grid at all. for his solar. Id really like to be totally off the grid with a gas backup.

Estimated lifecycle emissions
tonnes CO2


Standard gasoline vehicle 24
Hybrid electric vehicle 21
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle 19
Battery electric vehicle 19

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_aspects_of_the_electric_car

Yeah, Disposal. Do these car companies front load the cost of battery disposal? One of Waste Management Garbage disposal economic moats is that they own a lot of the dumps they deposit the collected trash into. Does Tesla own a piece of Yucca Mountain? As we know getting an oil change or a new battery in a gas driven car involves a disposal fee which is levied at the time that that occurs. When does the Tesla customer pay for disposal and how much?

JM

However, the CO2 assn with E vehicles is "at a point" and is able to be reacted or stored . A gas or Gas hybrid vehicle actually deposits its CO2 while in operation.