By Sachintha Ravishan
Introduction
One day my lecturer asked whether shifting to electric vehicles going to be successful in Sri Lanka, when power generation is dominated by coal and diesel. Shifting to EVs while majority of the electricity generation still depends on non-renewable energy sources could create a dilemma about EV adoption programs, leading to conclude that electrification of transport sector cannot reduce emissions. Because one can think that shifting to EVs won’t have a positive change and only overwhelm the national grid by creating an additional demand, which results in more emissions by burning of coal and fuels. But is it so? Let’s get insight on this further.
Global overview of EV technology
Growing concerns on climate crisis and global warming like challenges have created need for immediate actions to mitigate environmental pollution via sustainable solutions. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement and Net Zero by 2050 are some of the initiatives that are being undertaken with the aim of sustainability achievements in different sectors. When considering the transport sector, the global CO2 emissions is about 8 Gt CO2 in 2022, which is 3% increase compared to 2021. These have created a global trend for rapid electrification of the transport sector.
Therefore, EV market is continuously growing and the research and developments in battery technologies and charging facilities likely to further boost the EV adoption programs. According to statistics [1], global electric car sales in 2023 is nearly 14 million, which is 35% increase compared to 2022 and it could reach 17 million in 2024 accounting for more than one in five cars sold worldwide. China, Europe, and the USA are the leading markets for EVs, accounting for nearly 95% of global electric car sales. In China alone 8.1 million electric cars were registered in 2023. Norway leads in EV adoption, with over 90% of new car sales being electric in 2023. The above statistics provide clearer overview of the global trend towards the EVs.
Among the EV manufacturers, BYD has led pack recently with 3 million of EVs manufactured in 2023. Tesla followed with 1.8 million, and the Volkswagen Group produced approximately 1 million [2]. (EVs = BEVs + PHEVs)
Types of Electric Vehicles
Several types of EV technologies can be identified in the global market as follows.
- Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)
- Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)
- Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
- Fuel Cell Elecctric Vehicles (FCEVs)
Watch the following video to get more understanding about those.
After having some insight on the global overview of electrification, let’s get back to the origin of our discussion.
Success of EV adoption programs
As mentioned in the introduction, someone can conclude that EV adoption programs in regions where coal is the primary source of electricity generation, would not create a positive impact on emission reduction. Therefore, let’s clarify the validity of this point by going through following key considerations and supporting data.
Emissions comparison
The critical issues with conventional vehicles or internal combustion engine vehicles are the emission of CO2, SOx, NOx and other particulate matter which affect environmental pollution and public health. According to the IEA (International Energy Agency) statistics on section wise CO2 emissions in Sri Lanka for the year 2022, transport section contributes for 48% and the electricity and heat producer section contributes for 42% [3]. EV adoption programs will cut out tailpipe emissions directly, which cause substantial effect on reducing global warming and improving air quality.
Although one might think that EV will replace the emissions from ICE vehicles with emissions at the generation point of electricity, that thought lacks some facts. When accounting for the emissions from the electricity generation, EV typically have a lower carbon footprint over their lifetime compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Because, we cannot expect having a catalyst converter in each vehicle, but we can ensure efficient control of emissions via carbon capture storage and scrubbers in power plants.
Efficiency and control
When we consider the emissions of internal combustion engine vehicles, it mostly depends on maintenance practices, engine conditions and user capabilities like multiple factors creating a complexity in emission controlling. However, when considered a power plant, we get a centralized control over emissions making it more manageable. And with modern emission control and combined cycle heat generation like technologies, it can effectively control the power plant emissions and improve the energy efficiency.
Moreover, electric vehicles are generally considered to be more energy efficient than internal combustion engine vehicles. For example, electric motors have an electrical to mechanical energy conversion efficiency of over 85%, where internal combustion engines only possess 20 - 30 % of energy conversion efficiency.
Renewable energy integration
Grid decarbonization by integrating renewable energy sources can further reduce the carbon footprint of EVs. When considering the energy mix of Sri Lanka, IEA statistics shows that in 2022, 50% contributes by thermal power plants, and 41% generated via hydro power and 4% via wind power [4]. Total electricity generation via renewable sources is 50%, and it shows a 10% increasing trend from 2000-2022. Furthermore, Sri Lanka is in 5th of regional ranking,from renewables share of electricity generation, which shows a progressive transformation towards sustainable electricity generation [5].
And by supply - demand control strategies like charging EVs in off-peak hours, when there is an excess renewable energy generation also reduce carbon footprint of EVs. And, EVs are now considered as energy storage, where plug-in electric vehicles will transmit stored energy back to grid (vehicle-to-grid or V2G) during peak hours.
Figure: vehicle-to-grid concept demonstration
Real world data
In regions with a high percentage of coal power, the carbon footprint of EVs is higher compared to regions with cleaner energy mixes. However, studies show that even in coal-heavy regions, EVs still tend to have lower overall emissions than ICE vehicles. For instance, in Washington state,where a significant portion of energy comes from hydroelectric power, an EV generates only 705 pounds of CO2 equivalent per year. In contrast, in West Virginia, where coal dominates, an EV produces 6,228 pounds of CO2 equivalent annually [6]. Despite this, the emissions are still lower than those from a typical gasoline vehicle.
Challenges of EV adoption programs
While in the global context some countries have successfully deployed EVs for their transportation, other countries might find it challenging since conventional energy sources like coal and fossil fuels account for substantial portion of their energy mix. Therefore, it is worthy to consider about effective measures that can be taken to overcome these challenges.
Financial incentives
By considering the upfront cost of EVs and installation cost for domestic charging stations government could provide grants and loans, tax exemptions or purchase subsidies, which will encourage adoption.
Infrastructure development
Widespread availability of charging infrastructure and their quality effect on eliminating range anxiety. So, it is essential to invest for installation and development of charging facilities, for example in public areas, workplaces and residential areas, which enable convenient and fast charging options for the EV users.
Regulatory measures
Implementing standards to crackdown on emissions can make EVs, a comparatively attractive choice than conventional vehicles. In addition, establishment of zero emission zones in urban areas could encourage usage of EVs.
Public awareness and education
Lack of awareness and proper education about EV technology can hinder their long-term benefits. Hence, awareness campaigns, pilot projects and demonstrations are conducive to overcome the challenges face when initiating EV adoption programs in regions with coal power dominated electricity generation.
Implementation of these measures enable governments to effectively promote EV adoption, even in regions with coal-heavy electricity generation, while working towards a greener and more sustainable future.
Conclusion
Here our discussion originated from a misconception on EV adoption programs. Throughout this article then we discussed about the global trend for electric vehicles, the supporting data for proving the successfulness of EVs even in countries where thermal power is prominent and the measures to overcome challenges when adoption of EVs in such countries. Afterall we can conclude that generally EVs offer significant environmental benefits, whereas the effectiveness of EVs can vary based on the local energy mix. Moreover, the ability of centralized emission control in power plants and the ongoing shifting towards renewable energy sources are the key points that stand out here, which make the EV adoption programs a competitive choice over conventional vehicles. Therefore, we can conclude that EVs will have a positive impact on reducing the carbon emissions in transport sector even in countries where considerable amount of electricity is generated via coal, diesel like non renewable energy sources.
References
[1] T.Gül, A. Fernandez Pales, E. Connelly, and International Energy Agency, “Global EV Outlook 2024,” report, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a9e3544b-0b12-4e15-b407-65f5c8ce1b5f/GlobalEVOutlook2024.pdf
[2] “Global EV Sales for 2023 - EV Volumes,” EV Volumes, Aug. 15, 2024. https://ev-volumes.com/news/ev/global-ev-sales-for-2023/
[3] “SriLanka - Countries & Regions - IEA,” IEA. https://www.iea.org/countries/sri-lanka/emissions
[4] “SriLanka - Countries & Regions - IEA,” IEA. https://www.iea.org/countries/sri-lanka/energy-mix
[5] “SriLanka - Countries & Regions - IEA,” IEA. https://www.iea.org/countries/sri-lanka/renewables
[6] “What Is the Carbon Footprint of Electric Vehicles?” cars.usnews,Jan. 24, 2024. https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/what-is-the-carbon-footprint-of-electric-vehicles?
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