Electric Vehicles—An Overview of Current Issues—Part 1—Environmental Impact, Source of Energy, Recycling, and Second Life of Battery

Abstract

The rapid transition to electric-drive vehicles is taking place globally. Most automakers are adding electric models to their lineups to prepare for the new electric future. From the analysis of the automotive market, it is evident that there is a growing interest in such vehicles. They are expected to account for half the models released after 2030. Electric-drive vehicles include battery-electric vehicles. As indicated in the research literature and emphasized by experts, electric vehicles (EVs) are supposed to be an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional vehicles. The rising number and variety of EVs contribute to a better understanding of their performance. With more EVs on the market, there are problems to be solved and challenges to overcome. This article is the first part of a two-article series reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of EVs. The article analyzes the environmental effects of EVs at each stage of their life cycle, compares large- and small-scale recycling methods, and explores the potential applications of second-life batteries. This article is an attempt to find out how environmentally friendly EVs are.

Strategic Model for Yellow Hydrogen Production Using the Metalog Family of Probability Distributions

“…The next work will include the amount of excess energy production above the assumed own needs (self-consumption), storing it in energy warehouses and using it to produce yellow hydrogen. This will be profitable thanks to the decreasing prices of lithium-ion batteries themselves and the second life of traction batteries from electric vehicles [142,143].…”

Impact of the Integration of the Electric Vehicle on Low-Voltage Rural Networks

“…As a result, many automobile manufacturers have begun to emphasize the development of various types of electric vehicles. These include battery electric vehicles, which operate solely on the energy stored in their batteries, and plug-in hybrid vehicles, which run on a combination of battery and combustion engines [6].…”