EVs and their LCA
Ramachandran S
LinkedIn Top Voice ? Author ? Speaker ? Principal Consultant in thought leadership unit Infosys Knowledge Institute - Lead for engineering, manufacturing, sustainability, and energy transition
Issue #201, May 12, 2023
Electric vehicles (EVs) have received much attention as a driver for a sustainable, emission-free, green future. But it is not just the reduction of tail pipe emission that is important. The carbon emission across their lifecycle, at each stage from their conceptualization to design, manufacture, usage, and end-of-life are key - their lifecycle assessment (LCA) in short. In the US, EV sale is driving a cleaner environment as power generation also shifts towards cleaner, renewable sources. But batteries are a component to watch out for - their large scale manufacturing by China for example has resulted in the loss of forests to build mines. Byproducts are let out in environmentally unfriendly ways. To address such issues, the Japanese government will ask for manufacturers to report the amount of CO2 emitted during the production of batteries. Cheaper options like sodium-ion batteries will need a trade-off for the vehicle range due to their lower power density. Sustainability in a holistic sense can cover economic, social and safety aspects too. Software is a lifelong revenue stream to be tapped and GM has formed a new unit for it. Below are some media stories that directly or indirectly cover the LCA of EVs and their sub systems.
EVs and clean energy for charging
EVs are only as clean as the power they use to charge their batteries. How clean that is varies greatly from country to country. Car sales around the world show more people buying EVs that emit no climate-warming CO2 when they are driven around. But the impact of an EV replacing a traditional, combustion-engine car on overall emissions depends on how the power used to charge the car’s battery is produced. - WSJ
Batteries and their carbon footprint
Batteries are a key technology to replace the use of coal, oil and natural gas before it’s too late. But it will only work if we expand the industry in a sustainable way—and that’s not happening today. China is in the lead. Companies like CATL, BYD and Eve have developed great products and managed to scale production faster than anyone else. Is that a problem? Yes and no. The carbon footprint of Chinese batteries is disturbingly large. - The Economist
Battery manufacturing emissions
The Japanese government plans to require the country's EV manufacturers to calculate and report the amount of CO2 emitted during the production of batteries, aiming to use the data to determine eligibility for subsidies. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to introduce the requirement, which will apply to both EVs and plug-in hybrids, in fiscal 2024. It echoes similar steps taken by the European Union, which will also begin mandating disclosure of emissions information from 2024. - Nikkei Asia
领英推荐
Sodium-based batteries
Scientists are looking for ways to cut down on battery technology’s most expensive, least readily available ingredients.?Over the past several months, battery companies and automakers in China have announced forays into a new kind of battery chemistry that replaces lithium with sodium. These new sodium-ion batteries could help push costs down for both stationary storage and EVs, if the technology can meet the high expectations that companies are setting. Sodium-ion batteries traditionally wear out quickly, and have a lower energy density than lithium-ion batteries. - MIT Tech Review
Sustainability and safety
The auto sector is going through a new phase of ecological sustainability consciousness. Treating sustainability in its holistic form is prudent and it makes immense sense to encompass the economic, social and environment angles, by the industry. The industry can formulate holistic strategies along five broad axes, or the “5 Zeros" concept, says the author. - ET Auto
GM's new software unit
Monetizing software is a major focus for automakers such as GM, as they eye recurring revenue opportunities such as subscriptions to boost profits. The firm has hired former Apple executive Mike Abbott to lead a newly created software unit.?His role will bring together three separate functions within the company: software-defined vehicle and operating systems; information and digital technology; and the company’s digital business. GM has a target to grow profit margins and double its revenue to about $280 billion by the end of this decade. That includes significant growth in new business units and software. - CNBC
Pos graduate AI & Data Science/ MBA - Project Mgt./ Mechanical Engineer
1 年Z um ii nc Me w sddcuxx$3?,88,8obrigado Muito