Not to mention that storage space is also an environmental impact. I think when thinking about environmental impact we're often too focused on emissions during

Not to mention that storage space is also an environmental impact. I think when thinking about environmental impact we're often too focused on emissions during usage and not looking at the environmental impact of manufacturing and recycling the objects themselves. Solar panels, for example, look a lot less eco-friendly when you realize their lifespans are about 20 years and our recycling solution is to... not recycle them. Not to mention precious metals like lithium are getting harder and harder to mine, meaning more and more emissions are required to acquire those materials in the first place. It's estimated that around 46% of an EV battery's carbon footprint is in the factory itself before it's even travelled a single mile. Which is part of why total lifetime GHG emissions for EVs are still around 65% that of gasoline powered cars.[0] and only 5% of lithium-ion batteries are recycled in the US (compared to 99% of lead-iron batteries). Sorry I'm rambling. I think my point was that we need to think more about where the materials come from and what happens to them afterwards if we want a more complete picture of the environmental impacts of a technology [0] https://theicct.org/publications/global-LCA-passenger-cars-jul2021 https://theicct.org/publications/global-LCA-passenger-cars-j...