Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Had it not been for the discovery of cheap petroleum fuel, it is very likely that we
would already have seen a steeper evolutionary curve for electric cars, since they have
been around just as long as their gas-guzzling equivalents. As long as transport fuel
remained relatively cheap, there was little incentive for companies, governments and,
ultimately, consumers to invest in the research required to reach the holy grail of electric
transportation: a small, light and powerful battery. That incentive has been growing
steadily since the 1970s, augmented, in fact, by the sustainability imperative. Electric
vehicles have not yet achieved the vehicular equivalent of grid parity, but many people
believe that we are on the cusp of that moment.
Between 2011 and 2012, global sales of electric vehicles more than doubled, exceeding
States alone, and, prompted by policies to reduce GHG emissions, many more are likely to
become available in the coming years. Most industrialised countries have introduced fuel
economy targets, which put pressure on automakers to produce more efficient vehicles.
Some governments, such as that of California, have gone one step further by introducing
Yet, electric vehicles still comprise only 0.02 per cent of all passenger cars (Electric
Vehicles Initiative
2013
), and two key challenges still remain to be overcome before that
percentage is likely to increase significantly: infrastructure and battery power. Nowhere
does the availability of charging stations come close to supporting the widespread adoption
of electric vehicles. But even if there were electric charging stations on every street corner,
without batteries that can be rapidly recharged there will be no way to compete with the
convenience of a quick fill-up at a petrol station. If recharging times could be reduced to
a matter of minutes rather than hours, this would allow motorists to combine a rest stop
with a recharge, without any noticeable inconvenience vis-à-vis liquid fuels. Lithium-ion
batteries currently represent the best hope, but they are also expensive. A recent survey
conducted by consulting firm Pike Research found that consumers in the United States are
willing topayapremium foranelectric vehicle; $23,750foranelectric vehicle comparable
to a $20,000 gasoline-powered car. Unfortunately, all current electric models cost well
above $30,000 (Pyper and ClimateWire
2012
).
Of course, electric vehicles do not guarantee a clean and sustainable future, since they
are only as clean or sustainable as the electricity they run on. According to Smil (
2010
), an
all-electric fleet would not offer primary energy savings, and, unless it relies on renewable
Deutch, two researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, found that fuel
