Innovation in E-mobility‘Consultants Corner’ with Associate Candidate Consultant Tristan O’Grady explores the cutting-edge advancements in e-mobility.
Cars are bad for the environment… This realisation was made in the 1950s by a Californian researcher. He determined that the smoggy skies over Los Angeles were a direct result of pollutants from traffic emissions. In a recent ‘Consultants Corner,’ Tristan O’Grady discussed these issues in detail. He emphasised the role of e-mobility advancements.
On an annual average, a passenger vehicle emits roughly 4.6 metric tonnes. On the assumption that every UK household has at least one car, the overall CO2 emissions would amount to around 127,880,000 metric tonnes annually. This is a significant figure highlighted by Tristan O’Grady during ‘Consultants Corner’.
This is equal to around 78,453,987 round trip flights from London to New York.
To combat the downside of internal combustion engines (ICE), car manufacturers have raced to develop and manufacture electric powered vehicles (EV). They hope that these would significantly reduce the devastating impact of cars, a topic frequently analyzed in ‘Consultants Corner’ with Associate Candidate Consultant Tristan O’Grady.
Electric vehicles use far fewer parts than ICEs and emit no greenhouse gases while driving. Many still herald them as the future of transportation. But how sustainable are they really? This question often arises in Consultants Corner.
In contrast to ICEs which rely on fossil fuels or natural gas to operate, EVs rely on electricity generated by power plants. Power plants can vary in design and type. Overall, the most common types of non-renewable plants are still coal, diesel, and gas. The main sustainable/renewable plants are solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear. Consultants Corner discussions critically evaluate the energy sources powering EVs.
Unfortunately, sustainable and renewable energy production still falls short, so most EVs do not run on green electricity. Until green energy becomes the predominant source, EVs will still have a long way to go in replacing ICE vehicles. While the individual pollution output of ICEs may be significantly higher than that of EVs, the electricity supply needed for cars will level the scales. This challenge is often highlighted in Tristan O’Grady’s ‘Consultants Corner’.
As soon as we manage to switch from fossil fuels to renewables like nuclear fission and fusion, EVs will become a significantly more sustainable means of transport compared to ICEs. Insights on achieving this transition are provided by Tristan O’Grady in ‘Consultants Corner’.
Another factor that needs evaluation is the battery production and disposal. While ICEs mainly consist of mechanical components made of metals or plastics, EV batteries comprise lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other metals. African countries produce most of the world’s cobalt, with 50–60% coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tristan analysed this in Consultants Corner with an Associate Candidate Consultant.
Apart from the human rights violations in the mining of materials, the environmental impact is equally devastating. Batteries contain hazardous materials that need special disposal to ensure no negative impact on the environment. Tristan O’Grady discussed this in a recent Consultants Corner.
While ICE-powered vehicles may be more complex in parts, and the potential for having to replace individual parts may be higher, most parts of an ICE-powered car can have a longer lifespan than EV batteries. This comparison was part of ‘Consultants Corner’ discussions with Tristan O’Grady.
Ultimately, there have been positive developments in the EV industry. This includes the introduction of batteries with a longer lifespan and greater charge capacity. Some EV manufacturers, like Tesla, have started to pull out of Africa for battery material mining. They began sourcing the required materials in the United States. This shift was highlighted in the latest ‘Consultants Corner’ with Tristan O’Grady.
To discuss this topic further please contact @tristanogrady on Linkedin.
