Automotive Engineering - February 2023 - 23

SUSTAINABILITY FEATURE
For those who live
in apartments, who
have only one vehicle,
or who live in a cold
climate, BEVs are not
an easy substitution
for IC-enginepowered
vehicles.
California found that 97% of them live in single-family
homes or townhouses and 95% own a second, gasoline-powered
vehicle.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) offer the benefits of electrification
to a broader set of consumers while providing
a more climate-friendly alternative to vehicles that are
solely powered by IC engines. As shown in the above
chart, PHEVs offer roughly two-thirds of the lifecycle
CO2 reduction per mile that a BEV offers. For those
with a daily commute of less than 40 miles (64 km),
the CO2 produced during their drive is the same as
that of a BEV. PHEVs also enable owners to drive long
distances whenever they want to without incuring
lengthy recharging delays.
In the drive to quickly bring electric transportation
to more people, a unique advantage of PHEVs, ironically,
is their smaller batteries. According to Toyota,
approximately eight PHEV batteries can be produced
using the same amount of lithium, cobalt, nickel and
other natural resources as one BEV of equivalent size
and content. This results in fewer CO2 emissions associated
with raw material extraction and battery manufacturing.
It also may avoid some of the significant
price increases that are likely when demand for battery
materials outstrips supply, as demonstrated by
the steep increases in lithium prices over the last year.
Plus, it mitigates possible risks of a single country -
China - controlling nearly three-quarters of the raw
materials required to produce lithium-ion batteries.
Government policies have an enormous impact on
the acceptance of EVs. Although the incentives included
in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 undoubtedly
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
" Expanding current policies beyond their
focus on BEVs would engage more of the
U.S in the transition to lower emissions on a
faster timetable. "
will make BEVs and PHEVs more affordable for many households, the
IRA's stipulations are very complex. The incentives include vehicle purchase-price
limits, purchaser income limits and vehicle qualification
requirements based on sourcing an increasing percentage of critical
battery materials and battery manufacturing within the U.S. or with
free trade partners. Given the uncertainty these restrictions may have
on total EV sales, the U.S. EPA should closely monitor the impact of
this legislation through the first half of 2023, making recommendations
to Congress on any needed changes.
New incentives needed
While the current policy push towards BEVs and PHEVs is important,
not all BEVs are equally environmentally friendly. For example, the
Tesla Model 3 expends half as much energy per mile driven as the
Porsche Taycan Turbo S (a BEV, despite its name). General Motors'
Hummer EV has a battery more than five times the size of the battery
used in the Nissan Leaf, releasing significantly more CO2 during
its manufacture. Even though some BEVs are much better for the
environment than others, incentives for all of them currently are the
same - and consumers have few ways to distinguish among them.
Today, the EPA requires that dealers place labels on the windows
of IC-engine vehicles detailing their fuel efficiency in miles per gallon.
Changing the labeling requirements for EVs would enable consumers
to make knowledgeable choices about the true environmental impact
February 2023 23
Automotive Engineering - February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - February 2023
