EV-CRASH FOUNDATION v1.2

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are not inherently 'green' or 'brown' 
technologies 
from thermodynamic and material-flow perspectives, but rather context-dependent 
mobility solutions whose sustainability performance depends strongly on 
electricity 
grid composition (fossil vs. renewable), battery supply-chain socio-ecological 
burden (mining, labor, cobalt), and usage patterns (urban commute vs. long
distance 
highway).
This module performs critical well-to-wheel energy analysis and lifecycle 
assessment 
(LCA) evaluation of BEVs across: (1) full system efficiency (25–50% well-to-wheel 
depending on grid type); (2) material extraction burden (60–300 tons rock 
excavation 
per battery, ore-grade dependent); (3) cobalt supply-chain labor practices 
(40,000–200,000 child miners in Congo, $1–3 USD/day); (4) battery recycling 
(current practice 5–40% vs. demonstrated technological potential 95–100%—a 
systems governance failure, not a technical limit); (5) charging infrastructure 
requirements; and (6) system-level alternatives (streetcar, railway, bicycle) 
offering 3–5× superior thermodynamic efficiency.
Empirical finding: On low-carbon grids (~28–50% well-to-wheel), BEVs achieve 
40–70% GHG reduction vs. ICE vehicles; on coal-dominant grids (20–30% well-to
wheel), 
this advantage materially shrinks. Normative conclusion: BEVs represent ~30–40% 
incremental efficiency improvement, not a paradigm shift. Grid decarbonization, 
mass-transit expansion, and urban design change (15-minute city, car-light 
development) offer superior system-level returns on investment.