Sustainable Electronics
Building bio-batteries: how to connect the digital thread across EV manufacturing
By Frederic Godemel, EVP Power Systems and Services at Schneider Electric S
o far, 2024 has been described as the ‘Year of AI’, the ‘Year of Elections’ and, according to the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Dragon. However, based on current evidence, I’d like to propose a new title: 2024, the year of the electric vehicle (EV). The IEA recently reported (1)
that 2024 will
see the highest number of EVs ever sold – a 20 per cent increase on 2023. A recent study (2)
showing that EVs could even put energy back into the grid when solar and wind energy is low, rather than overwhelm it as some first feared, is this the year that EVs finally go mainstream?
estimated that the global tally of public charging stations will soar to 16 million by 2026, marking a threefold increase from 2023. Although the lack of a cohesive policy framework and regulatory incentives continue to be a barrier to growth, with industry analysis (3)
As we urgently need to accelerate the sustainable mobility transition with climate deadlines fast approaching, it looks as though EVs, and their infrastructure, are finally moving in a ubiquitous direction. However, one core issue remains: the impact of EV batteries on our fragile environment.
The grey areas in green vehicles EVs are sometimes known as ‘zero- emission vehicles’ and, once on the road and charged via renewables, this claim has the potential to ring true. However, the manufacturing of the batteries that power EVs is a different story. It’s estimated that large lithium-ion batteries used to power EVs are the largest source of embedded emissions for both electric cars and trucks, accounting for up to 60 per cent of total production emissions, meaning batteries can generate as much emissions as the production of all the other materials that go into making an EV—or even more (4)
. It
is largely through a lack of greenhouse gas emissions once on the road that EVs begin to leave their famed minimal footprint,
36 December/January 2025
and it is widely acknowledged that EVs begin to make a tangible positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions after driving between 10,000 and 30,000 kilometres, compared to fuel-based cars. The EU has already enacted laws (5)
on
more sustainable, circular and safe batteries to ensure they “have a low carbon footprint, use minimal harmful substances, need less raw materials from non-EU countries, and are collected, reused and recycled to a high degree in Europe”. But when it comes to EV batteries, we need to do more in terms of how they are built, both in Europe and worldwide. So, how can manufacturers pivot to ensure that EVs and their components are as sustainable as possible?
Components in Electronics
Unlocking ultra-valuable production data
The EV battery manufacturing industry is navigating a critical transition. To date, manufacturing organisations have geared their business and operating models to optimise production throughput and capture market share as quickly as possible. But ramping up production rapidly has created hidden costs - value leaks of data. They are enabled and fostered by the inhibition of meaningful feedback loops within the factory and across the value chain.
For example, 25 per cent of power outages are caused by electrical equipment failures. We’ve also seen transformer failures lead to significant disruptions and safety hazards,
like the fire in Ontario (6) in Bangkok (7)
and the explosion . This highlights the need for
services that ensure robust Electrical Asset Management, like predictive maintenance to avoid operational damages.
Above all, we know that buildings – battery factories included – account for around 39 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions (8)
, with 28 per cent coming from
operational emissions like the energy needed to heat, cool and power them, and the remaining 11 per cent from their materials and construction. Buildings must therefore be our primary target in the sustainability transition. But it can be hard to visualise a building’s data, such as losses in energy efficiency, without a centralised view of
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