Electricity
Electricity (as a fuel)
There’s a shift toward electrification in the transportation sector because of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and technological advancements in batteries. Sales of light-duty electric vehicles (EVs) in 2021 accounted for 3% of all vehicle sales in the United States. Now there are more than 60 models to choose from, when only two existed back in 2010. EV sales in China, the world’s largest car market, are substantial. In the European Union EVs were 10% percent of all vehicle sales in 2021.
While diesel technology is expected to continue to be the predominant source of power for most medium- and heavy-duty on and off-road sectors, established vehicle manufacturers and startups are introducing medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks.
Spurred by government emissions reduction regulations and technological advancements, electrification is also being pursued in a variety of other sectors including off-road construction equipment and marine vessels.
Types of Electrons
The principal advantage of electric vehicles is zero tailpipe emissions; however, consideration must be given to how the electric power is generated for a full understanding of the environmental and climate impacts of an EV compared to other technologies.
To achieve the greatest benefits from an electrification of transportation strategy is for all of the electricity to be generated from 100% renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind or solar, all of the time. Here in the US however, coal and natural gas are sources of 60% of our electric power, with nuclear contributing 19% and renewables 20%. Because of the intermittency of renewable sources, fossil fueled resources routinely contribute some baseload support.
Sources of electric power are variable across the country, with some regions using more renewables while other regions remain substantially dependent on coal and natural gas. Regions with a heavy reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation negate much of the emissions benefits of an EV.
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us.php
Batteries
Batteries and charging infrastructure are at the core of the transition to electrified transportation. The materials used in electric vehicle batteries include elements such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, graphite, as well as other metals and materials. These raw materials are processed and manufactured into individual battery cells. Batteries are rapidly evolving both in the configurations of rare metals uses and in their control through the core components of the battery, the anode and cathode.
However, with a rapid push toward electrification, there are concerns about the supply of essential rare elements for use in the batteries. According to the Department of Energy, cobalt (Co) is considered the highest material supply chain risk for electric vehicles in the short and medium term. EV batteries may include up to 20 kg of Co in each 100 kilowatt-hour (kWh) pack. Right now, Co can make up to 20% of the weight of the cathode in lithium-ion EV batteries. The cobalt supply is not independent of other commodity businesses and introducing new recovery projects is expensive. Moreover, the United States does not have large reserves for Co, so. he extraction and early-stage processing are concentrated in a small number of other countries.
Because the chemical reactions that create electricity create heat, batteries also require a cooling, and power management, system to control charging as well as discharging. Advancements in battery chemistry, design, and power management allow manufacturers to achieve greater power and driving range.
A key to success for the electrification of the transportation section is the availability of charging infrastructure to support EVs. According to The U.S. Department of Energy, there are about 43,000 EV charging stations across the country for passenger EVs. The state of California, and the federal government’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program, are investing in the creation of charging infrastructure for these vehicles. Charging stations range in cost from $2,000 to $5,000 for Level 2 (240V) stations, to as much as $100,000 for a supercharger station.
Commercial vehicles have vastly different charging needs than passenger vehicles as far as their power demands, connections, and schedule for recharging. Battery-electric commercial trucks make up a small population of vehicles and nearly all charging stations for these vehicles are privately fleet owned or located at government facilities made accessible to the public. Nearly all of these are in California. While larger commercial vehicles require bigger and more expensive battery packs than passenger cars, they also offer the potential of a total cost of ownership competitive with current diesel trucks according to some analyses.
Policy
Policy support is one of the major factors driving the move to electrification in the transportation sector
Substantial federal incentives, and some from state governments are available to manufacturers and consumers to offset the typically higher price for manufacturing and acquisition of EVs. California has incentive programs that help cover purchases made in other vehicle sectors which includes transit buses, school buses, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, as well as off-road equipment. –.
The Advanced Clean Truck Regulation is a newer California law requiring truck manufacturers to produce a specified portion of their vehicle offerings as electric, beginning in 2024. The state is developing a companion regulation – the Advanced Clean Fleet rule – that mandates purchase of ZEVs by public and private fleets above a certain size. This rule requires fleets to increase the percentage of EVs by a comparable amount to the manufacturing mandate in order to provide a market for the electric trucks.
Electricity (as a fuel)
There’s a shift toward electrification in the transportation sector because of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and technological advancements in batteries. Sales of light-duty electric vehicles (EVs) in 2021 accounted for 3% of all vehicle sales in the United States. Now there are more than 60 models to choose from, when only two existed back in 2010. EV sales in China, the world’s largest car market, are substantial. In the European Union EVs were 10% percent of all vehicle sales in 2021.
While diesel technology is expected to continue to be the predominant source of power for most medium- and heavy-duty on and off-road sectors, established vehicle manufacturers and startups are introducing medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks.
Spurred by government emissions reduction regulations and technological advancements, electrification is also being pursued in a variety of other sectors including off-road construction equipment and marine vessels.
Types of Electrons
The principal advantage of electric vehicles is zero tailpipe emissions; however, consideration must be given to how the electric power is generated for a full understanding of the environmental and climate impacts of an EV compared to other technologies.
To achieve the greatest benefits from an electrification of transportation strategy is for all of the electricity to be generated from 100% renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind or solar, all of the time. Here in the US however, coal and natural gas are sources of 60% of our electric power, with nuclear contributing 19% and renewables 20%. Because of the intermittency of renewable sources, fossil fueled resources routinely contribute some baseload support.
Sources of electric power are variable across the country, with some regions using more renewables while other regions remain substantially dependent on coal and natural gas. Regions with a heavy reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation negate much of the emissions benefits of an EV.
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us.php
Batteries
Batteries and charging infrastructure are at the core of the transition to electrified transportation. The materials used in electric vehicle batteries include elements such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, graphite, as well as other metals and materials. These raw materials are processed and manufactured into individual battery cells. Batteries are rapidly evolving both in the configurations of rare metals uses and in their control through the core components of the battery, the anode and cathode.
However, with a rapid push toward electrification, there are concerns about the supply of essential rare elements for use in the batteries. According to the Department of Energy, cobalt (Co) is considered the highest material supply chain risk for electric vehicles in the short and medium term. EV batteries may include up to 20 kg of Co in each 100 kilowatt-hour (kWh) pack. Right now, Co can make up to 20% of the weight of the cathode in lithium-ion EV batteries. The cobalt supply is not independent of other commodity businesses and introducing new recovery projects is expensive. Moreover, the United States does not have large reserves for Co, so. he extraction and early-stage processing are concentrated in a small number of other countries.
Because the chemical reactions that create electricity create heat, batteries also require a cooling, and power management, system to control charging as well as discharging. Advancements in battery chemistry, design, and power management allow manufacturers to achieve greater power and driving range.
A key to success for the electrification of the transportation section is the availability of charging infrastructure to support EVs. According to The U.S. Department of Energy, there are about 43,000 EV charging stations across the country for passenger EVs. The state of California, and the federal government’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program, are investing in the creation of charging infrastructure for these vehicles. Charging stations range in cost from $2,000 to $5,000 for Level 2 (240V) stations, to as much as $100,000 for a supercharger station.
Commercial vehicles have vastly different charging needs than passenger vehicles as far as their power demands, connections, and schedule for recharging. Battery-electric commercial trucks make up a small population of vehicles and nearly all charging stations for these vehicles are privately fleet owned or located at government facilities made accessible to the public. Nearly all of these are in California. While larger commercial vehicles require bigger and more expensive battery packs than passenger cars, they also offer the potential of a total cost of ownership competitive with current diesel trucks according to some analyses.
Policy
Policy support is one of the major factors driving the move to electrification in the transportation sector
Substantial federal incentives, and some from state governments are available to manufacturers and consumers to offset the typically higher price for manufacturing and acquisition of EVs. California has incentive programs that help cover purchases made in other vehicle sectors which includes transit buses, school buses, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, as well as off-road equipment. –.
The Advanced Clean Truck Regulation is a newer California law requiring truck manufacturers to produce a specified portion of their vehicle offerings as electric, beginning in 2024. The state is developing a companion regulation – the Advanced Clean Fleet rule – that mandates purchase of ZEVs by public and private fleets above a certain size. This rule requires fleets to increase the percentage of EVs by a comparable amount to the manufacturing mandate in order to provide a market for the electric trucks.