Indicators 2024: An overview of electric vehicles and infrastructure

WILKES-BARRE — Jill Avery-Stoss, Chief Operating Officer at The Institute, this week said The Institute’s Energy Task Force has produced a report on electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure.

The study is an extension of research conducted via the task force in 2023.

According to Avery-Stoss, electric vehicle use leads to long-term savings even though the initial purchase of an electric vehicle is more expensive than a combustion engine vehicle.

Avery-Stoss said the average price of a new electric car in the United States is $66,000. Over the vehicle’s lifetime electric vehicle owners are reported to spend $9,000 less on fuel and $4,600 less on maintenance costs than similar gasoline-powered vehicles, however.

Additionally, Avery-Stoss said new technology in electric vehicle batteries — and increased use of the vehicles themselves — can strengthen the market and help reduce initial costs.

Federal standards require that half of all new vehicle sales be sales of electric vehicles by 2030. Pennsylvania accounts for just under 2% of new registrations of electric vehicles, and the Commonwealth aims for three of 10 cars to be electric by 2033.

“More charging stations are needed to support electric vehicle use throughout the state,” said Avery-Stoss. “There are more than 2,700 public electric vehicle chargers in 1,100 locations across Pennsylvania, and these numbers must double to support electric vehicle adoption fully.”

In July 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) issued a five-year Electric Vehicle Mobility Plan for the improvement of electric vehicle infrastructure. This plan identifies specific actions that PennDOT could take to help facilitate the transition to a more robust electric vehicle infrastructure and lays the groundwork for future steps.

Electric vehicle sector continues to navigate challenges

“There are several obstacles connected to electric vehicle production,” added Avery-Stoss. “Many of these obstacles involve battery production, which is the most expensive and energy intensive part of electric vehicle manufacturing.”

Electric vehicle batteries consist of materials such as nickel, lithium, cobalt, and others. Avery-Stoss said mining for these battery components raises environmental and human rights concerns.

Additionally, extracting metals from their ores requires smelting — a process that emits sulfur dioxide. Furthermore, production of these batteries is about 50% more water-intensive than production of traditional combustion engine batteries.

Also, there is currently no way to recycle electric vehicle batteries. The used batteries are disassembled, and the steel, copper, and aluminum go into the nationwide recycling system. Other parts — lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel — are ground and purified. Avery-Stoss said if this process is not done correctly and the battery is sent to a landfill, its cells will release toxins and pollute the environment.

“Solutions for safer battery production are underway, and great potential remains for the future of electric vehicles,” stated Avery-Stoss. “It is important that there be infrastructure to support them.”

Avery-Stoss said this support should include carefully placed charging stations. For example, it is recommended that charging sites on Interstates should be installed every 20 miles (or less) to ensure sufficient coverage. They should be well-maintained and well-lit.

Avery-Stoss said popular regional routes and tourist destinations should be considered, along with emergency travel and freight routes.