As Tesla helps to accelerate the worldwide adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) it will also be important to evaluate how the company’s actual manufacturing and supply chain processes affect the world – even as its cars reduce transportation emissions.
Tesla shared its 2020 impact report on Monday, which showed that the company avoided the use of 5.0 million metric tons of CO2e emissions in 2020. The 94-page document contains chapters on the company’s overall environmental impact, as well its product impact, supply chain and people and culture elements.
The report points out that the manufacturing process itself for the Tesla Model 3 results in slightly higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than a typical internal combustion engine (ICE) would require. Still, a car with a zero-emission lifespan like the Model 3 quickly makes up for those emissions.
In 2020, Tesla customers helped accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy by avoiding 5.0 million metric tons of CO2e emissions
Impact Report → https://t.co/wZwv00DyWp
— Tesla (@Tesla) August 9, 2021
Tesla’s impact report also touches on EV battery recycling, which is perhaps one of the areas where sustainability breaks down the most.
The company’s document points out that “longer battery longevity is the most sustainable option” for EV batteries. In addition, the document says that every battery used in R&D or that is returned and cannot be remanufactured is recycled.
Our vehicles emit much less CO2 than ICE vehicles, considering both vehicle manufacturing & electricity emissions pic.twitter.com/NYirz3s4zB
— Tesla (@Tesla) August 9, 2021
Earlier this year, Tesla also announced plans to add a recycling facility to its Gigafactory Shanghai, while in the U.S., the company holds an EV battery recycling partnership with former Tesla employee JB Straubel and his company Redwood Materials.
