Realizing the EV benefits

Issue#242, March 12, 2024

Realizing the full benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) for sustainability needs efforts beyond just the vehicle and its manufactureres. Usage of solar energy for charing is one such example, catching up in India and globally. Formula-E has a sustainability roadmap to measure and reduce its carbon emission from day zero. Chinese automakers are 30% quicker in EV development than legacy manufacturers, largely because they have upended global practices built around decades of making complex ICE vehicles. EV discussions have become political in the US, with the Biden administration's announcement that it would investigate the security risks posed by Chinese-made smart cars. Apple killed its autonomous car project after its inhouse and partnership efforts failed to take off. Shortage of fork lift drivers is pushing Japan towards autonomous vehicles. Below are some recent trends in electrification and autonomy in driving.

EV charging

Solar EV charging stations are gradually making their way into India. But can it be a long-term viable solution for wider EV penetration? EV ride-sharing platform BluSmart announced a deal with Tata Power to recharge its electric cabs using solar energy, ensuring no fossil fuels are used in their operation. The deal shows a viable path for cleaner and cheaper mobility options. - Economic Times

Formula E and sustainability

Can motorsport and sustainability go hand in hand? The common answer may be a ‘no’. Julia Pallé, VP – Sustainability, Formula E, says they can. Planning the event is key. The carbon foot print of the entire event from day zero is measured. 70% of the carbon footprint is around the logistics. A sustainability freight road map is worked out with a clustered approach, continuously reducing the emission, with bio-fuels and renewable energy. Long term solutions include sustainable aviation fuel. - ET Auto

Faster EV development in China

Chinese automakers are around 30% quicker in development than legacy manufacturers, industry executives say, largely because they have upended global practices built around decades of making complex combustion-engine cars. They work on many stages of development at once. They are willing to substitute traditional suppliers for smaller, faster ones. They run more virtual tests instead of time-consuming mechanical ones. And they are redefining when a car is ready to sell on the market. - WSJ

From tech to politics

So far, EVs have mostly been discussed in the US through a scientific, economic, or environmental lens. But all of a sudden, they have become highly political. The Biden administration announced it would investigate the security risks posed by Chinese-made smart cars, which could “collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the People’s Republic of China,” the statement from White House claims. While many other technologies from China have been scrutinized because of security concerns, EVs have largely avoided that sort of attention until now. There are two motivations behind the investigation: the economy and security. - MIT Technology Review

What killed Apple's car

Project Titan, as Apple called it, cost the company about $1 billion a year. But it never reached the point where any full-scale prototypes were tested on roads. Apple is said to have discussed potential partnerships with Mercedes-Benz, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Tesla, Canoo and McLaren at various stages of its effort to develop a self-driving car before killing the program. Among other revelations in Bloomberg's account, Apple considered trying to buy Tesla when it was still worth less than $30 billion, but CEO Tim Cook killed the idea. Apple talked with Mercedes-Benz "for a few months" about an idea to have Mercedes build the car and to put Apple's self-driving platform into Mercedes vehicles. But it ultimately decided it wanted to build the car on its own. - Bloomberg, Auto News

Autonomous forklifts for driver shortage

Forklift manufacturers are receiving inquiries from warehouse operators about self-driving models, even though they cost several times more than conventional versions. Customers have forklifts but cannot find operators to drive them. While a typical midsize forklift sells for about 2 million yen ($13,300), a driverless one costs as much as 15 million yen, including the expense of installing networking infrastructure within the factory. Warehouse operators used to balk at the hefty price tag, but they now see it as worth considering. - Nikkei Asia