The University of Michigan found that copper cannot be mined quickly enough to keep pace with the demand for electric vehicles (EVs).

The university assessed the amount of copper needed for the industry under current levels, finding that the rate of copper production is inadequate.

Under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, 100% of new cars are to be electric by 2035.

University of Michigan professor of earth and environmental studies Adam Simon highlighted the insufficiency of current copper mining: “A normal Honda Accord needs about 40 pounds of copper. The same battery electric Honda Accord needs almost 200 pounds of copper,” he said.

“We show in the paper that the amount of copper needed is essentially impossible for mining companies to produce,” he added.

“Green” energy’s copper requirements would “outstrip what copper mines can produce at the current rate,” Engineering and Technology wrote. “Between 2018 and 2050, the world will need to mine 115% more copper than has been mined in all of human history up until 2018 just to meet current copper needs without considering the green energy transition.”

Researchers explained that hybrid vehicles are a better option than electric cars.

“We know, for example, that a Toyota Prius actually has a slightly better impact on climate than a Tesla,” Simon noted. “Instead of producing 20 million EVs in the US and, globally, 100 million battery EVs each year, would it be more feasible to focus on building 20 million hybrid vehicles?”

A resurfaced 2022 study suggested that EVs produce more emissions than gas-powered cars.

“Half a tonne of battery weight can result in tire emissions that are almost 400 more times greater than real-world tailpipe emissions, everything else being equal,” Emissions Analytics wrote.

Similar concerns were voiced in a 2023 study, which doubted that EVs reduce carbon emissions.

Although EVs do not put out carbon emissions while in use, “emissions occur elsewhere—before the first mile is ever driven and when the vehicle is parked to refuel,” Mark Mills of the Manhattan Institute explained.