Tesla has taken the world by storm upon its shift into the automobile industry. The company has coasted on growing global interest in sustainability, something that has catapulted the brand into the forefront of car-seekers’ minds the world over. One of the key attributes that draws consumers to Tesla is the company’s eco-consciousness. Tesla cars help the environment by saving incredible amounts of carbon emissions (currently at 3,649,226 and counting), recycling their lithium-ion batteries in partnership with Umicore, and relying on electric power, instead of petrol. Despite all these accolades, Tesla is, by no means, a perfect company. After all, any manmade vehicles and similar products still inevitably contribute to environmental harm. When considering how Tesla helps the environment, you should also pursue a realistic understanding of its drawbacks. To do so, consider the data and facts discussed below. Is Tesla Better for the Environment? Whether the Tesla brand or its products are “better for the environment” is a tricky question to answer. While the company does focus on the production of vehicles to improve fuel efficiency for everyday transportation, this, in and of itself, does not make the products objectively better for the environment. Why? The manufacturing and selling of cars are often reduced down to the final product. Consumers often think about what the vehicle itself consumes directly (or, rather, what it doesn’t consume) without considering the energy it took to produce the car to begin with. If Tesla were to be objectively better for the environment, the corporation would have to exercise dramatically different shipping and manufacturing procedures. According to conflict and sustainability researcher, John Katsos, you have to remember that even the production of electric cars is powered by “oil, gas, and coal.” Still, with all this said, Tesla does still uphold environmentally-friendly practices when compared with their industry counterparts. Here are a few examples of how this company uniquely stands out when compared to gas-powered models. Lowered Greenhouse Gas Emissions Experts once referred to the Tesla Model 3 as the usher that brought in “the beginning of the end of the internal combustion era.” As one of the leading electric cars on the market, its innovative design has formed the foundation of the cutting-edge of sustainable personal travel. (Source: State of the Planet) Tesla vehicles are still markedly better for sustainability than the average petrol vehicle. Additionally, since the batteries are U.S.-made, their emissions are lowered even further. There’s no shipping batteries on a cargo ship from over-seas. They Are American-Made Though it may seem that some Tesla consumers base their love for American-made vehicles in a sense of nationalism, there is actually a good, objective reason to prefer U.S.-sourced vehicles over others. Many experts know that electric vehicle manufacturers can produce higher emissions than those who make standard petrol cars due to inefficient practices. Yet, studies have shown that American-made vehicles emit significantly lower levels of harmful gases. In fact, industry specialists assert that, if foreign vehicle makers were to transition into the use of manufacturing protocols similar to those of the United States or Europe, they could cut up to 66% of their emissions. (Source: Forbes) Off-Setting Manufacturing Emissions It’s no secret that the production of vehicles, electric or petrol, takes energy. Yet, the key difference between the two is the car’s ability to off-set the emissions later in its lifespan. For example, consider these details for a better understanding of what separates Teslas (and other electric cars) from standard gas-powered models (Source: Visual Capitalist; U.S. Department of Energy; Business Insider): Gas-powered: Surprisingly, the manufacturing of petrol vehicles creates significantly less harmful emissions than electric alternatives such as fully electric, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). However, these cars cannot off-set this impact, as their lifespan is typically an average of about 179,000 miles. Electric: Admittedly, manufacturing these cars is just as damaging to the environment as gas-powered models. In some cases, it’s worse. In 2015, the Union of Concerned Scientists discovered that the making of an average electric car emits 15% more gases than gas-powered cars. Fortunately, electric vehicles (EVs) can off-set this problem. Experts also report that the average EV lasts significantly longer than a given gas-powered vehicle. So, once the latter has been driven down to its last mile, the former will continue functioning, officially beginning to off-set the manufacturing emissions at about 19,000 miles, when it can officially take the title, “zero emissions.” Do Electric Cars Actually Help the Environment? As technology continues to develop with the aim of combating the coming wave of climate change-induced environmental degradation, one product that remains on the innovative edge is the electric vehicle. Most people, consumers and manufacturers alike – believe these cars to be a solid hope for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and lowering fuel consumption. Yet, do these perspectives hold any merit? To an extent, yes. EVs are widely regarded as a crucial tool in improving modern societies’ ability to maintain environmental health. They are excellent for the mitigation of carbon emissions and limiting global temperatures to 2°C or 1.5°C. However, they do have drawbacks. The most notable disadvantage is the very attribute that enables these vehicles to so drastically reduce their fuel consumption: the battery. Most consumers rarely consider the fact that the vehicle manufacturing process requires energy. From the body’s hardware down to the very battery that powers its central sustainable marketing point. According to the Carbon Brief, there is no hard-and-fast rule on how much more sustainable EVs are relative to others. How much energy and fuel the car consumes depends heavily on the environment, driving conditions and patterns, methods of electric emissions calculations, and more. In summary, EVs still contribute to emissions, just not as much as gas-powered cars. (Source: Carbon Brief) Tesla’s Environmental Impact With the 550,000 Tesla vehicles sold since the company began, they’ve cumulatively traveled over 10 billion miles. Despite this vast number of miles traveled by all Teslas thus far, they’ve saved more than four million