Report: Micro-hybrids beat all-electric vehicles in reducing CO2 emission
According to Lux Research, micro-hybrid concepts will provide the most economical route to meeting the emission targets – significantly more than battery electric and fuel cell drives. In a micro-hybrid, the car automatically stops its engine when it would otherwise be idling, using an improved or an additional battery to quickly restart it when it’s time to move. Some micro-hybrids also recover the kinetic energy released when braking and store it in the battery. According to Lux Research, nearly half of the improvements required to meet the stiff emission targets will come from improvements in micro-hybrid technology, notably through improved batteries, while lighter structural materials will contribute 39% and improved fuels will add 13%.
“The automotive industry is under intense pressure to lower emissions and increase fuel efficiency. Improved energy storage options will help make micro-hybrids the most cost-effective way to respond, along with ongoing improvements to lightweight materials,” said Anthony Schiavo, Lux Research Associate and the lead author of the report titled, “Building the Car of 2025: How to Cost-Effectively Get to 54.5 MPG Using the Right Mix of Advanced Technologies.”
The analysts built a data-driven model and evaluated the innovations necessary to meet the 2025 fuel efficiency targets, and their impact on automobile prices. Among their findings:
- Micro-hybrids lead the charge based on energy storage advances. Innovation in micro-hybrid technologies will be the biggest factor in the march towards greater fuel efficiency, contributing 48% of the improvements required to meet 2025 targets. Falling prices of lithium-ion batteries, lighter and better-performing 12V and 48V batteries, and better supercapacitors are among the changes powering energy storage.
- Lighter materials are key. Lighter structural materials are at the heart of fuel efficiency and would contribute a hefty 39% of the targeted improvements for 2025. Carmakers such as Ford and GM have ongoing partnerships with companies like Alcoa and Nanosteel Company that develop materials to reduce weight; BMW and Volkswagen hold investments in SGL Carbon, a manufacturer of lightweight carbon fibre materials.
- Alternative fuels help, too. A third, albeit smaller, factor driving fuel efficiency is innovation in alternative fuels. About 13% of the improved 2025 targets will come from increased Research Octane Number (RON) content due to increasing biofuel blending mandates. Brazil has the highest target of 27.5% for ethanol, while the U.S. aims for 20% by 2022 for all renewable fuels. India and Thailand have set 20% targets, while Europe lags at 10%.
The report, titled “Building the Car of 2025: How to Cost-Effectively Get to 54.5 MPG Using the Right Mix of Advanced Technologies,” can be accessed here: https://portal.luxresearchinc.com/research/report/20754?utm_campaign=journal&utm_source=journal&utm_medium=email
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :
