Cover The Defender is Land Rover’s strongest fully electric vehicle model to date
The Defender is Land Rover’s strongest fully electric vehicle model to date
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With sustainability being an essential facet of today’s car scene, numerous automotive brands look into producing zero-emission electric vehicles
The transportation sector produces more than seven billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (GtCO2) a year, with cars and vans being the biggest emissions source accounting for 48 per cent of global transportation emissions (Tiseo, I, Statista, 2023). This hasn’t gone unnoticed by policymakers trying to address climate change issues. The Conference of the Parties (COP) 28 held in Dubai last December 2023 resulted in an agreement among nations to transition away from fossil fuels. Parallel to COP 28, the High-Level Champions and the Marrakech Partnership compiled the “2030 Climate Solutions: Implementation Roadmap” specifying targets for road transport, which include among others, zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) as being the new normal by 2030 and ZEVs making up 100 per cent of total global passenger vehicles and vans sales by 2030.
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Above Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid strikes a balance between comfort and performance
Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid strikes a balance between comfort and performance
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The 2030 Climate Solutions summarise actions required to achieve systems change by 2030 as pathways toward a global net-zero, resilient and nature-positive world. Applying the definition of the California Air Resources Board, ZEVs include battery EVs, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Several automotive companies have followed suit and adopted their own ZEV strategies. The BMW Group declared that by 2023, at least half of their global deliveries will be fully EVs. Lexus has adopted the slogan “The Future is Electric” and aims to roll out all-electric vehicles in every segment globally in the coming years.
Above Porsche Taycan (EV) echoes sportiness with its handsome proportions
Porsche Taycan (EV) echoes sportiness with its handsome proportions
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MINI and Rolls Royce have also announced their intention to have an all-electric model line-up by the early 2030s. The Philippines now has several options for EVs.
Lexus has the RZ 450e, an all-electric compact luxury crossover. BMW has one of the widest offerings of EVs which range from the compact iX sedan, i4, i5, iX3 and the full-size luxury sedan i7. Audi introduced the E-Tron, its first all-electric SUV, as early as 2022. Other options include the Mercedes Benz EQ and Jaguar’s i-Pace.
Despite the incentives for owning an EV in the Philippines, challenges remain such as the lack of charging facilities throughout the country which cause “range anxiety” for EV users. For those not ready to go full EV, there are plenty of hybrid options. Land Rover has full-size PHEV SUVs such as the Range Rover PHEV and the Defender PHEV, while Porsche offers the Cayenne e-Hybrid SUV. Bentley carries the ultra-luxury PHEV sedan Flying Spur Hybrid.
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Above Lexus LBX is a subcompact hybrid SUV
Lexus LBX is a subcompact hybrid SUV
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Lexus has the most hybrid offerings consisting of compact luxury crossovers (UX 250h F Sport, RX 500h F Sport, UX 250h, RX 350h, NX 350h, LBX); luxury sedans (IS 300h and ES 300h); and multipurpose vehicle (LM 350h).
Despite the increasing availability of EVs and PHEVs, the decision to purchase or favour ZEVs over ICE vehicles should be driven by a holistic understanding of its implications on the environment and societal factors. While ZEVs are considered to produce little or no greenhouse gas (GHG) tailpipe emissions, the manufacture and use of ZEVs can be sources of emissions. The level of EV emissions, in particular, is significantly driven by their batteries and energy sources.
Above An electric vehicle’s (EV) charging port that connects to an external power supply
An electric vehicle’s (EV) charging port that connects to an external power supply
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The production of batteries for EVs requires the mining of minerals and a process of heating at high temperatures which usually involve the use of fossil fuels. Because of the intense requirements to manufacture batteries, MIT Climate (using Argonne National Laboratory’s GREET Model) estimates that building a new EV can produce around 80 per cent more emissions than building a comparable gas-powered car.
The energy used to power EVs primarily determines the level of emissions produced. If the EV is constantly charged using electricity from coal or other fossil-fuelled power plants, it becomes a source of GHG emissions during its lifetime. However, EVs are effective alternatives to reduce emissions if its power sources are from renewable energy.
Above The futuristic control dashboard inside the Defender
The futuristic control dashboard inside the Defender
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Despite the potential disadvantages of EVs, its benefits are real and seem to carry more weight when it comes to emissions. Based on current available technologies, EVs are crucial to a sustainable future for the automotive industry. But sustainability can’t be achieved by simply focusing on replacing ICE vehicles with EVs. There appears to be wisdom in strategies undertaken by companies like Toyota on having a “multiple pathway approach” to sustainability. A holistic analysis is important to avoid defeating the goals of sustainability which go beyond solving emissions and global warming, but also considers other aspects of the environment and social well-being.
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