The sustainability roadmap of electric vehicles

As the new-energy vehicle industry continues to develop, more and more families are switching to electric vehicles. Considering their lower carbon emissions and lower running costs, it is an easy choice.

Sustainability is a top priority for automotive manufacturers, who are focusing on reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. The realization of these goals would not only help save precious resources, but also lower corporate costs and environmental treatment costs. The potential economic, social and environmental benefits are immense.

Though nobody knows how much electric vehicles will ultimately benefit the environment, increased funding and rigorous research continue to fuel their development.

Excessive emissions have caused an environmental crisis

Cars are a continuous source of pollution. As their numbers and usage increase, the negative effects on the environment are escalating. Vehicle exhaust contains hundreds of different compounds. including the pollutants hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead-containing compounds, benzopyrene, and solid particles. Studies show that the weight of the harmful exhaust discharged by a vehicle in one year is three times greater than the weight of the car itself.

As you can see from the figure below, the transportation industry is a major contributor to Earth's greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, road transport accounts for nearly half of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

 
Source: International Energy Agency (IEA)

The exhaust produced by petrol and diesel cars contains a large number of environmentally unfriendly chemicals. These include:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
• Particulate matter (PM10)
• Ozone (O3)

Battery technology empowers green and low-carbon transportation

Since Europe implemented the first passenger vehicle exhaust emission standard in 1970, countries and institutions around the world have made moves to limit exhaust emissions. In 1992, the Euro 1 standard was introduced. It required gasoline vehicles to be installed with catalytic converters in order to reduce carbon monoxide emissions. Today, we are still complying with the Euro 6 standard (China adopts the China 6 standard) to ensure that pollutant emissions are reduced by approximately 96% compared with 1992.

As technology improves, the positive impact of electric vehicles on energy conservation and environmental protection increases.

Research shows that switching to an electric vehicle from a petrol or diesel vehicle can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by around 37%, and operational emissions by 75%. As you can see from the figure below, compared with internal combustion engine vehicles, electric vehicles produce lower carbon emissions in all areas except for body production and battery production.

 
Source: Capgemini SE

As battery technology continues to advance in leaps and bounds, there are many innovative breakthroughs and applications on the horizon. Already, zero-emission electric vehicles are within the reach of many motorists. And, no doubt, the remaining drawbacks of electric vehicles will be overcome. Once battery packs are able to power a range of 500 kilometers or more with just a few minutes of charging, there will be no stopping them.

Exciting research and developments

Let’s take a look at some exciting concepts at the forefront of battery technology R&D.

• The body as the battery

Chalmers University of Technology, located in Sweden, Europe, has been researching the use of new automotive structural elements as battery components. In other words, the car itself IS the battery. This would significantly reduce the overall weight of the vehicle, making it lighter and more energy-efficient. These new batteries use carbon fiber for the negative electrode and lithium iron phosphate for the positive electrode. Rigid and durable, both of these materials are ideally suited for constructing the bodies of electric vehicles.

• Carbon nanotube electrodes

Meanwhile, NAWA Technologies, located in the US, is developing and industrializing a unique electrode material. It combines the best of nano and green technologies in an ultra-fast carbon battery. 

This revolutionary technology uses vertically aligned carbon nanotubes that make batteries up to 10 times more powerful than current battery packs. It can also triple the efficiency of energy storage and extend the working life of the battery by five times. It is said that the carbon battery is on the verge of mass production and is able to reach 80% charging capacity in just five minutes.

• Cobalt-free batteries

The University of Texas in the US is working on a lithium-ion battery that doesn't use cobalt as its cathode. Instead, the cathode comprises up to 89% nickel plus aluminum and manganese. Cobalt is a rare and expensive metal that is environmentally harmful to mine and manufacture. 
SVOLTEnergy Technology of China is also making cobalt-free batteries for the electric vehicle market. The company’s mission is to produce batteries with higher energy density, empowering vehicles with a range of up to 800 kilometers on a single charge.

• Silicon-anode batteries

In search of a solution for the instability of lithium-ion batteries, researchers at the University of Eastern Finland have developed a method to produce a hybrid anode using mesoporous silicon microparticles and carbon nanotubes. The replacement of graphite with silicon as the anode improves the battery capacity by 10 times. What’s more, the silicon is derived from environmentally friendly barley husk ash.

• Extracting battery materials from seawater and sand

IBM Research has discovered a new battery chemical component that is extracted from seawater. It contains no heavy metals and produces a battery that outperforms lithium-ion batteries. This material not only enables batteries to charge faster but also lowers cost and offers greater energy storage. 
Similarly, researchers at the University of California, Riverside are developing a battery technology that uses pure silicon, extracted from sand. It produces a battery that lasts three times as long as the graphite-based lithium-ion batteries currently in use. It also extends battery life.

• Solid-state batteries

As their name suggests, solid-state batteries are made of tightly compressed, rigid materials, unlike the slightly sticky, wet materials typically used to make lithium batteries. Recently, scientists at companies like Toyota and Solid Power have been pioneering a solid-state battery that uses sulfide superionic conductors to improve performance. According to reports, the battery can operate at supercapacitor levels and can be fully charged in just seven minutes. Solid-state batteries also offer excellent thermal stability and are safer to use than the lithium batteries that currently dominate the market.

• Zinc-air batteries

Researchers at the University of Sydney have discovered a way to make economical zinc-air batteries, which outperform and are safer than lithium-ion batteries. To date, the challenge in zinc-air battery development has been cost. However, scientists are working on ways to overcome this challenge, and make cheaper and safer batteries available to all.

Other exciting developments include the Ryden dual carbon technology, which extends battery life and makes battery charging 20 times faster than was previously possible. And, these batteries can be produced in the same factories that currently make lithium batteries. 
Meanwhile, graphene battery and aluminum-air battery technologies are becoming cheaper, lighter and faster to charge. 
 
The future of batteries, and electric vehicles, looks bright. Exciting new materials are set to lower the negative impact on the environment while improving battery efficiency and prolonging battery life. The dream of an electric vehicle that can run for a thousand kilometers on just a few minutes of charging will become a reality. It is just a question of when.