World Environment Day 2024: 3 Ways EVs Could Be More Eco Friendly

Our perception of electric vehicles (EVs) often centres on their lack of tailpipe emissions, making them a clear win for the environment. However, the reality is more complex. While EVs offer significant environmental benefits, there's room for improvement. Let's delve into three key areas where future advancements can make EVs even more eco-friendly.

Solar Based Chargers

Current charging responsibility seems to fall on the electricity grid that runs on coal power. Having a solar charging grid that powers all-electric vehicle charges might just make them eco-friendly. Data suggest that currently, India uses 115 terawatt hours. Total electricity demand for EVs may vary between 37 TWh under 33 percent. This is expected to increase as the demand rises. India is a nation with plenty of sunlight and some sectors of barren land. Setting up a solar plant in most of these places could solve EV electricity making it clean green energy. Also, other clean energy sources should be used to supply electricity to charger grids.

Alternatives to Lithium Battery Packs

Lithium-ion batteries are employed in most electric vehicles. They store electricity with the highest efficiency as they store the highest amount of electricity in the smallest space possible. All of this means that we must continue to mine lithium, but there is no guarantee that we’ll be able to find enough raw material to keep up with demand. Also lithium mining isn’t a very environmentally friendly process as well.

Lithium-ion batteries have served us well, but researchers are looking to the future with exciting alternatives. Sodium is a cheap and abundant element found in table salt. It is a promising replacement for lithium. This could significantly reduce battery costs and environmental impact, as lithium mining can be resource-intensive and disruptive to ecosystems. Magnesium batteries could hold even more power than lithium-ion, making them ideal for applications demanding extended range. Seawater batteries tap into a vast, naturally occurring source of sodium, reducing reliance on mining and the environmental impact of extracting lithium. Glass batteries, made from eco-friendly materials, show great promise with their potential to outperform current lithium-ion technology in terms of safety and rechargeability. Durability is a question here.

Fuel cells offer a different approach, functioning like batteries that can be recharged with clean fuel like hydrogen, eliminating the need for frequent recharging. This could be a major advantage for electric vehicles, enabling them to refuel in minutes, similar to gasoline cars, but with zero emissions.

Liquid batteries take another tack, enabling rapid recharging by pumping in a fresh liquid solution, similar to refuelling a gasoline car but with much cleaner and more efficient energy storage. This could be ideal for applications that require frequent bursts of power, such as power tools or electric vehicles used for commercial deliveries.

Using Eco Friendly Material for its body panels

Current Electric Scooter styling make for really cool designs. While current electric scooters have sleek designs, they often rely heavily on plastics and other non-degradable materials. To address this environmental concern, the industry is shifting towards eco-friendly alternatives. Recycled plastics and metals can be incorporated into body panels, reducing reliance on virgin resources and manufacturing energy. Bio-based plastics derived from plants offer a renewable and potentially biodegradable option. Natural fibres like flax, hemp, and bamboo are being explored for their lightweight strength and sustainable growth properties. Even traditional aluminium, with its excellent recyclability, lightweight nature, and resistance to rust, is finding renewed use. These eco-friendly materials can create electric scooters that are not only stylish and functional but also tread lighter on the environment.