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Electric-Drive Vehicles and Beyond: Assessing the Impact of Disruptive Technologies...
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Electric-Drive Vehicles and Beyond: Assessing the Impact of Disruptive Technologies for Road Transportation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2023) | Viewed by 6285

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Juan C. González Palencia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Mechanical Science and Technology, Gunma University, Gunma 373-0057, Japan
Interests: energy systems design; electric-drive; vehicles; lightweight vehicles; vehicle stock turnover models; energy and material flows; energy-economics models

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the past 30 years, new technologies such as Electric-Drive Vehicles (EDVs), lightweight vehicles and Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) have appeared in road transportation. Massive adoption of these technologies will likely change the way passengers and freight are transported around the world. Associated changes in vehicle powertrains, fuels, materials and use patterns will affect cost, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and material use in the energy system.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact of disruptive technologies on the transport sector and the energy system; as well as evaluating the status of deployment and barriers associated to technology diffusion.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcomed. Articles assessing the impact of end-use technologies such as Electric-Drive Vehicles (EDVs), lightweight vehicles and Connected Autonomous Shared Electric (CASE) vehicles on the transport sector and the energy system are welcomed. Submissions regarding passenger transportation and freight transportation are both welcomed. Approaches and methods for technology assessment may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Energy-economics modeling.
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA).
  • Supply chain analysis.
  • Energy and material flows assessment.
  • Total cost of ownership evaluation.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Juan C. González Palencia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • electric-drive vehicle (EDV)
  • vehicle lightweighting
  • vehicle downsizing
  • connected autonomous shared electric (CASE) vehicle
  • micromobility
  • slow mobility
  • energy-economics model
  • life cycle assessment

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3001 KiB  
Article
Sustainability Score Comparison of Welding Strategies for the Manufacturing of Electric Transportation Components
by Elizabeth Hoyos, María Camila Serna, Jeroen De Backer and Jonathan Martin
Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8650; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118650 - 26 May 2023
Viewed by 1397
Abstract
Sustainability scores can be used to assess manufacturing strategies, going one step beyond a standard economic assessment. This work uses a previously proposed methodology to evaluate two of the most common welding processes for aluminium alloys that are specifically used in the fabrication [...] Read more.
Sustainability scores can be used to assess manufacturing strategies, going one step beyond a standard economic assessment. This work uses a previously proposed methodology to evaluate two of the most common welding processes for aluminium alloys that are specifically used in the fabrication of components for the transport industry based on their advantages in generating lightweight and dimensionally efficient parts. For comparison and as proof of concept, two welding methods were selected: Friction Stir Welding (FSW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). FSW attained a higher overall sustainability score. Values were calculated for an existing aluminium product, which was part of the opening and closing system of an electric train door, and the final score was 0.78 from FSW compared to 0.69 from GTAW, which was 11% higher in FSW compared to the conventional arc welding process. The analysis carried out included economic, physical, social, and environmental impacts. Finally, an example pertinent to a current EV component is described and considered along with a plan to determine the best welding process for a particular application, and with the calculations, the score obtained for GTAW was 0.43 and 0.68 for FSW, which was 36% higher that the result for the conventional arc welding process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electric-Drive Vehicles and Beyond: Assessing the Impact of Disruptive Technologies for Road Transportation)
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26 pages, 5657 KiB  
Article
A National and Regional Greenhouse Gas Breakeven Assessment of EVs across North America
by Daniel Rasbash, Kevin Joseph Dillman, Jukka Heinonen and Eyjólfur Ingi Ásgeirsson
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2181; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032181 - 24 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2540
Abstract
Electrification is considered key to decarbonizing the transport sector. While electric vehicles (EVs) lack tailpipe emissions, battery and electricity production can lead to significant emissions. This study analysed whether EVs can effectively mitigate GHG emissions in North America, by calculating two GHG breakeven [...] Read more.
Electrification is considered key to decarbonizing the transport sector. While electric vehicles (EVs) lack tailpipe emissions, battery and electricity production can lead to significant emissions. This study analysed whether EVs can effectively mitigate GHG emissions in North America, by calculating two GHG breakeven indicators for EVs and comparing them to internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). EV life cycle emissions were compared to those of ICEVs in Canada, Mexico, and the USA. In addition, this study considered potential national electricity grids evolutions and improvements in battery production and vehicle efficiency. The study estimated that EVs in Canada, the USA, and Mexico would see environmental benefits after 18.0, 25.1, and 25.6 thousand driven kilometres, respectively, as compared to petrol vehicles. Regionally, Québec had the lowest emissions (12.9 tCO2eq) for EVs while Iowa (62.0) had the highest. In several states, EVs did not outperform ICEVs. Emissions from EVs are expected to decrease in coming years as the carbon intensity of electrical grids decreases. Policies should consider prioritising grid decarbonization over EV uptake where regional grid GHG intensity is high. This work provides one of the first regional and international case studies determining the environmental breakeven points of EVs when considering trade. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electric-Drive Vehicles and Beyond: Assessing the Impact of Disruptive Technologies for Road Transportation)
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Review

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20 pages, 3188 KiB  
Review
A Comprehensive Overview of Basic Research on Human Thermal Management in Future Mobility: Considerations, Challenges, and Methods
by Ju Yeong Kwon, Jung Kyung Kim, Hyunjin Lee, Dongchan Lee and Da Young Ju
Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7335; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097335 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1777
Abstract
Thermal management in automobiles is necessary to minimize energy usage while achieving a high level of occupant thermal perception. As the freedom of in-vehicle activity increases with autonomous driving, considering convenience becomes even more important, and, at the same time, the need for [...] Read more.
Thermal management in automobiles is necessary to minimize energy usage while achieving a high level of occupant thermal perception. As the freedom of in-vehicle activity increases with autonomous driving, considering convenience becomes even more important, and, at the same time, the need for thermal management in electric vehicles is expected to increase. While it is necessary to consider the characteristics of the future mobility environment, there is still a lack of research that takes into account these changes in thermal management and proposes future research directions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore basic research directions based on national R&D project cases and to provide a comprehensive overview. The environmental changes that need to be considered in thermal management research include the diversification of future transportation types and usage purpose diversification, the characteristics of electric vehicles, changes in the interior and exterior design of autonomous vehicles, personalized air conditioning environments, and dynamic thermal management according to occupant in-vehicle activity. This study provides an understanding of the overall field, and can help identify challenges, solutions, and ideas. Although this study provides conceptual considerations for research directions, future research is needed to identify detailed factors related to technology, environment, and human factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electric-Drive Vehicles and Beyond: Assessing the Impact of Disruptive Technologies for Road Transportation)
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