Question:

You indicate that the power sector alone produces 41% of all CO₂ emissions. In that case, can we say that the use of an electric car in France produces 0 grams of CO₂ per kilometer? And what about the 300 kilograms of batteries installed in the floor of the car that will undoubtedly be a major source of pollution after their use?

Answer:

The most recent batteries for electric cars – particularly lithium-ion and lithium-metal-polymer batteries, or hydrogen batteries in the future – operate without emitting any harmful gases to the environment. Quite rightly, you also raised the waste management question. Recovering and recycling waste uses industrial systems and equipment that require energy and thus release varying levels of CO₂, depending on whether the primary energy is from nuclear power, renewables or fossil fuels. But this aspect must be contrasted with the environmental advantages. For example, used oil recycling and heavy metals recovery reduce soil pollution over the long term, flue gas desulfurization prevents pollution from being released to the atmosphere, and asbestos removal saves human lives. So, in the long run, the waste management balance is highly positive.

Companies must already comply with various national and international regulations in this regard. The Basel Convention adopted by the European Union in 1989 defines hazardous waste and addresses the control of cross-border movements of this waste and its disposal. The convention specifies conditions for the storage, transportation and recycling of automobile batteries, and particularly for the lead in current batteries.

Since the convention was adopted, several EU directives have supplemented the initial system, specifying in particular the “polluter pays” concept. By way of information, about 800,000 tons of automobile batteries, 190,000 tons of industrial accumulators and 160,000 tons of portable consumer batteries are sold on the EU market each year.