Electric vehicles are often presented as the obvious solution to the climate impacts of transport. Governments and manufacturers promote mass electrification as a key pillar of the ecological transition. However, this narrative rests on a dangerous illusion: believing that changing the engine is enough to make mobility sustainable.
While electric vehicles reduce certain local emissions, they fail to address the deeper structural problems of a mobility system that remains energy-intensive, resource-dependent and centered on individual car ownership.
The environmental limits of all-electric mobility
Electric vehicles do not eliminate environmental impacts; they shift them. Battery production requires large amounts of critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, whose extraction causes significant environmental and social damage.
Electricity generation also matters. In many regions, power still comes partly from fossil fuels, meaning the overall carbon footprint of electric mobility depends heavily on the energy mix.
An unsustainable mobility model remains
Even when electric, private cars occupy space, contribute to urban sprawl and worsen congestion. They perpetuate a mobility model based on individual ownership, which is incompatible with sustainable and livable cities.
All-electric mobility also raises equity concerns. High vehicle costs and uneven charging infrastructure increase social and territorial inequalities.
Rethinking mobility beyond technology
Sustainable mobility cannot rely solely on technological substitution. It requires reducing unnecessary travel and promoting a diversity of transport modes.
Public transport, active mobility, shared vehicles and better urban planning are essential components of a resilient mobility system. Electric vehicles can play a role, but they cannot be the sole solution.
The role of public policy and businesses
Public policies must move beyond purchase incentives for electric vehicles. Investing in public transport, redesigning cities and encouraging mobility sobriety are critical steps.
Businesses also have a key role by rethinking commuting, logistics, remote work and shared fleets. Sustainable mobility is a structural challenge, not just a technological one.
Conclusion
The all-electric narrative offers the illusion of an easy transition, but it leaves an unsustainable mobility model untouched. Meeting climate and social challenges requires a radical shift from technological substitution to systemic transformation of how we move.
