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Searching for environmentally friendly materials in the automotive industry

The automotive industry - one of the largest industries in the world - is at the heart of a growing global effort to find green materials to help reduce and reduce high levels of harmful greenhouse gas emissions in the context of the worsening climate crisis. The role of road transport as a major pollutant highlights the urgent need to find sustainable solutions in this sector. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which oversees the World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP29), the sector is responsible for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and fossil fuels account for 96 percent of energy consumption in road transport.
The automobile industry is one of the largest industries in the world and is at the heart of the growing global effort to find green materials to help reduce and reduce high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

Guido Guillin, Technical Director of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) * - Region 1, in Brussels, and Charles de Othos, Vice President for International Policy at the American Automobile Policy Council (AAPC) **, discuss sector initiatives, technological developments, trends and challenges on both sides of the Atlantic to eliminate Carbon from road transport.
Guido Guilin, Technical Director of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) - Region 1, talks about the trends and challenges associated with improving the carbon footprint of the road transport sector.
What can be done to make the transport sector greener?

I am personally convinced that lightweight, electric-propelled vehicles have enormous potential for reducing energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and pollutant emissions. Significantly reducing vehicle mass can help reduce rolling resistance. So far, manufacturers appear to have underestimated the environmental benefits that more sustainable vehicle design can provide. But loosening the lump alone is not enough. This is why the FIA ​​prefers to implement technology-neutral solutions, a wide range of propulsion technologies to achieve environmental goals and, of course, higher levels of safety, which we cannot compromise.

What new materials are emerging to soften vehicle hulls?
Several types of materials can help reduce vehicle mass and are durable enough to meet safety requirements. For example, high-strength steel is promising, but aluminum, and some types of plastics, are also attractive solutions. However, there is no quick fix. Manufacturers have the knowledge to design and produce innovative and environmentally friendly vehicles, but they lack the commercial and legislative incentives to apply this knowledge in mass production at prices that consumers can afford.
Is it true that one of the concerns about battery-powered electric vehicles currently in circulation is the weight of the electric motor?

The mass of compounds has been increasing for decades. Today, a medium-sized electric propulsion vehicle weighs between 200 and 300 kilograms more than a comparable vehicle equipped with only a combustion engine. Some claim that this high weight is not a problem, since the electric battery management system allows for a large amount of energy to be recovered during the idling phases. However, we generally prefer technology-neutral solutions and believe that all lighter propulsion units benefit both EVs and internal combustion vehicles.
The automotive sector invests huge sums in research and development. What are the sectors of the sector that attract these investments?

There are many branches that stimulate investment in research and development in the automotive sector. The requirements regarding greenhouse gases and pollution control focus on efforts to develop more sustainable compounds. Another major focus on research and development is access to and automation of data from connected vehicles, in addition to (cyber) security. Everyone wants to have data about vehicle functions and access it directly. Unfortunately, consumers are often not aware of all the data that arises while driving. One of our studies showed that a large amount of data could be transferred directly from the car to the manufacturer's server without the knowledge of the consumer. This data includes how often the driver has moved their seat position or how long the driver has used a particular driving position. Despite this, after the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was established, people have a critical view of the data that is sent to the manufacturer.
Pollution control requirements encourage efforts to make vehicles more sustainable.

Does this data help vehicle safety?
Yes, if the data is anonymous and available to authorized and independent service suppliers, such as our mobility clubs, it may contribute to providing safer and cleaner vehicles. Vehicle safety can be enhanced through a higher level of automation and advanced driver assistance safety systems. However, more needs to be done to improve user and community understanding of the benefits of these security services. In this context, access to vehicle data is extremely important.
And when autonomous vehicles trade in the market, how important and protective is the data?

It will be very important. Today, for the connected cars already in circulation, data security, in terms of safety and environmental protection, is essential. Security is the preservation of the integrity of vehicle data and functions. It is imperative that vehicle manufacturers ensure the latest levels of safety over the life of the vehicle; This is what consumers need and expect to prevent vehicle tampering and personal data theft. Moreover, it is not acceptable to specify

The manufacturer or network operator when the vehicle is decommissioned and decommissioned, for example, by specifying that it is no longer economically viable to provide security updates. Access to these updates is a basic right of consumers and should be protected by law.

Cybersecurity - which aims to prevent hackers from remotely tampering with vehicles and stealing data - is a new concern for the auto industry, and is the subject of in-depth discussions at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, where new regulations on cybersecurity and remote software updates will soon be introduced. These are very important issues for the sector and individuals around the world. However, as we have seen in recent years in security sectors other than the automotive industry, where safety is paramount, the high level of security and access to vehicle data and functions is not mutually exclusive.
Numerous R&D activities are also carried out in the area of ​​cybersecurity and issues related to accessing and automating data from connected vehicles.

How important is protecting intellectual property, especially patents, in stimulating innovation in the automotive sector?

Intellectual property is very important, but many innovations only happen when the knowledge and know-how is provided to mobility clubs and other independent operators. It is for this reason that we prefer independent and authorized service providers to directly access vehicle data and functions.

Intellectual property in the automotive industry is now more important than ever.

And their importance will only increase as we move quickly towards developing fully autonomous vehicles.
Charles D. Othos, Vice President for International Policy at the American Automobile Policy Council (AAPC)

In other words, do we mean open cooperation?

Yes, but in an orderly and controlled way.
How important is the power source used to charge electric vehicle?

It is a very important consideration. We have developed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool for our club experts, looking at materials and energy used throughout the vehicle’s life cycle - from its design to the end of its life - as well as in relation to the reuse of the vehicle or its components (such as a propulsion battery). This last issue must be of greater importance. However, it is not possible at present to make very rough estimates in the early stages of a vehicle’s life cycle, for example - measuring the energy consumed in mining the raw materials used in the production of the vehicle, and the production process of the vehicle itself. Publication of energy costs related to the supply of materials and construction of vehicles would allow for more accurate estimates.
Are the ambitious targets set by the European Union to curb greenhouse gas emissions (after the landmark 2016 Paris agreement on combating climate change) force the sector to be at the forefront?

Yes, and it is important to do so. In addition to the big data challenges, the sector must reduce emissions for all types of new vehicles. In addition to the need to achieve targets for reducing vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, so must reduce energy consumption and emissions of individual vehicles. Euro 7 regulations on air pollution are in the pipeline and could be in place by mid-2020. Some manufacturers will struggle to meet emissions targets, but if they don't, they will face severe penalties, at least in the European Union.

Policies aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions already have a significant impact on the technologies required in the markets that are governed by these regulations. It has a profound effect on the vehicle, its size, weight and strength.
Charles D. Othos, Vice President for International Policy at the American Automobile Policy Council (AAPC)

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) and its mobility clubs participate in Green NCAP, an independent assessment program that rates the environmental performance of new vehicles. It provides consumers with much better information regarding exhaust emissions and fuel efficiency to make informed purchasing decisions. The hope is that the program will provide the sector with the necessary incentives and direction on the demand side so that product design and efficacy actually meet the ambitious environmental goals of the NCAP.
Charles de Othos, Vice President of International Policy, the American Automobile Policy Council (AAPC), shares his views on sector initiatives and technology developments in the United States to reduce carbon emissions from road transport.
Some innovative initiatives in the search for green materials in the US auto industry

National laboratories in the United States play an important role in finding alternatives to rare earth resources, such as cobalt, used in electric vehicle batteries. By definition, these resources are uncommon and limited in availability, which makes it difficult to find sufficient reliable sources.
What about new materials to loosen vehicle hulls? Has there been any progress on this front?

In the United States and around the world, there has been a significant and steady transition from steel to aluminum. There is also a move to use special steel, which is lighter and more resistant.
According to American Council on Automotive Policy research, the global automotive sector spends about $ 115 billion annually on research and development, or about $ 1,300 per vehicle. Is this trend continuing?

Given the global trend in the automotive sector towards the adoption of electric propulsion technologies, American automakers are devoting a lot of their investment to research and development in these technologies. It is not uncommon for accomplishments to emerge in the United States and be monetized elsewhere. For example, a nickel-ion battery for the Prius was developed at Argonne Laboratories.

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