When thinking about the actions necessary to limit the disastrous effects of climate change, few things come to mind before electric cars. By focusing on tailpipe emissions and marketing electric vehicles as environmentally friendly, electric car companies have convinced individuals that car dependency is okay, so long as the vehicles are not (directly) powered by fossil fuels.

Cars are terrible. They are loud, dangerous, expensive, take up far too much space, are socially inequitable, and damage our health and environment. Yes, even the electric ones. Car dependency is an urban planning choice. Ultimately, individuals will make environmentally harmful transportation choices so long as the infrastructure around them supports harmful transportation as the most convenient.

The 2022 United Nations Emissions Gap Report states that “there is no credible pathway to 1.5°C in place.” Each individual must have an equal right to use an equal share of resources and contribute their share of pollution if we are to create a just society. The actions needed might seem like drastic action but is insignificant when these actions hinder lifting billions out of poverty and suffering in a sustainable manner.

The automobile has long symbolised freedom and individuality. Cars are advertised as the rejection of reliance on others, allowing an individual to go where they want to, when they want to. Society must combat this by showing the realities that car-centric design reinforces: inequality, discrimination, higher taxes and environmental catastrophes. We must turn away from the automobile and embrace the freedom gained in doing so.

Electric cars have been marketed as the solution to the climate crisis. Although electric cars certainly have a role to play in the future of mobility, simply replacing combustion engines and petrol tanks with electric motors and lithium-ion batteries is not going to fix the climate crisis.

In reality, electric cars represent the idea of an environmental future where more energy can be consumed without destroying the planet so long as it comes from renewable sources. This view is far too simplistic and looks towards future solutions, which may or may not be realised, to solve issues we are facing today.