For the EV industry to grow, proponents and skeptics need to work together
What began so long ago as a novelty is now being pushed into the mainstream, locally and globally. All thanks to pollution and climate change.
We’re talking about the electrification of the automotive industry, and the evolution of technologies, cultures, and mindsets toward renewable energies.
There are even laws in many countries to induce their societies to adopt auto electrification and embrace sustainable, clean, and renewable energies for all other aspects of living. In the Philippines, there’s Republic Act No. 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (Evida), which provides a national policy framework to develop the local electric vehicle (EV) industry.
But as it turns out, even in scientific communities, there is no sure path to acceptance. Critics point out that current technologies still cannot enable renewable energy resources—in which EV batteries supposedly belong—to satisfy the massive energy demands that fossil fuels (such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas) supply on a global scale.
It is a fact that fossil fuels currently satisfy 80 percent of the world’s demand for energy. It is also a fact that climate change has been accelerating due to human activities for the past 150 years, as greenhouse gases accumulate in the Earth’s atmosphere as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels. What is being debated on is the best way to wean ourselves off fossil fuels in order to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
Many in the auto industry believe that auto electrification is the best way to go, and as such, automotive manufacturers have committed to electrifying their entire product lines within 20 to 30 years. But hold it, snap the critics. Don’t overlook the fact that EV batteries are “dirty” and unsustainable, too, as producing them requires mining the land and releasing toxic substances into the environment, they say.
Other renewable energy sources such as solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric dams have also gotten their share of brickbats, the common trajectory being that these supposedly clean power sources may be solving problems, but are actually creating new ones.
One particular study by Chris Moorman, a professor and coordinator of the Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology program at North Carolina State’s College of Natural Resources, is detailed in his book “Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation”. The salient points of the study are discussed in a 2019 online article penned by Andrew Moore in the NC State University online site (cnr.ncsu.edu).
According to the online article, the intensity and magnitude of environmental impacts from renewable energy development vary depending on the technology used, the extent of land conversion, and a number of other factors. But one of the most important determinants, stressed Moorman, is project siting.
“From an ecological standpoint, we should be building (renewable energy) projects in developed areas that already have little wildlife habitat,” Moorman said.
After reading and hearing various viewpoints, I can say that it really does take an entire village—scientists, businesses, civil societies, users and producers, the government—to raise this toddler called renewable energy. Of course, anything in its infancy will stumble every now and then as it takes its baby steps. That’s how we learn, through trial and error. That’s how a “rebooted industrial/green revolution” will also grow, by taking two steps forward, one step back.
One thing must be made sure, though. We must never let this baby follow the previous one’s (carbon) footprints.
‘Unstoppable march’
Meanwhile, it seems that EVs are well on their way to becoming part of mainstream motoring. A New York Times article posted last Feb. 2 revealed that, while EVs still accounted for just 9 percent of new cars sold worldwide in 2021 (up from 2.5 percent in 2019), the International Energy Agency predicted that “present trends could make 2022 the year when the march of battery-powered cars (become) unstoppable, erasing any doubt that the internal combustion engine is lurching toward obsolescence.”
Here at home, we can already feel “lightning” about to strike, as EVs are slowly being introduced into the market.
Porsche’s vegan designer
Porsche (the luxury and performance auto brand represented in the Philippines by PGA Cars), a leading brand in the electrification of luxury sports cars, has also ventured into sustainable cruelty-free materials and designs, most likely in response to more luxury car buyers who have become compassionate for the other sentient beings—the animals—whose skins have been traditionally to make automobile interiors.
PGA Cars recently featured staunch vegan designer and influencer Sean Wotherspoon, known for his fashionable streetwear using vivid color palettes and other unusual materials, as he joined creative forces with Porsche in designing his personal Taycan 4 Cross Turismo electric sports car. The striking exterior painted in a color block style was one of the highlights of South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, last March.
Porsche revealed the art car’s interior: The lively color blocking continues with Nash Blue, Sean Peach, Loretta Purple and Ashley Green. Cork on the dashboard, steering wheel and center console creates a visual contrast to this, while corduroy adds another distinctive feature. The roof lining, seat centers and sun visors are upholstered with this material in Atacama Beige. The 32-year-old vegan designer also wanted the interior to be leather-free, an option that other Taycan customers can now also choose.
In a way, auto electrification and the use of non-animal materials in cars go hand-in-hand towards a more thorough approach to compassionate environmentalism. Annually, the global leather industry slaughters more than a billion animals—which require massive amounts of feed, pastureland, water, and fossil fuels, and that, in turn, emit greenhouse gas emissions that further fuel climate change (according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization). In fact, there is no such thing as “eco-friendly” genuine leather, as the processes involved in turning animal skin into leather also requires large amounts of energy and dangerous chemicals. More importantly, to make leather, cows and bulls face unbearable torture—face-branding with hot irons, electrocution, non-stop beatings, and suffocation—before they are dealt that one final blow.
Sony Honda Mobility Inc
On June 23, Honda Cars Philippines Inc revealed that Sony and its mother company Honda had just signed a joint venture agreement to establish the new company Sony Honda Mobility Inc. The new company is set to be established within the year, and will begin selling high-value-added EVs and provide mobility services in 2025.
Lexus pushes hybrids
Lexus Philippines recently released a statement, saying “the Philippine shift to a Lexus electrified future has already begun.” It then went on to say that “Lexus’ current line of hybrid vehicles is a stepping stone toward an electrified and sustainable future.”
The Lexus LS flagship, IS Sport sedan, RX SUV, and NX Crossover were mentioned as showcasing hybrid technologies, “which are a result of genuine and ongoing concern for the harmful effects vehicle emissions can have on the environment while simultaneously enhancing personal mobility.”
The recently launched Lexus RZ marks Lexus’ transition into a BEV-centered brand and embodies the unique Lexus vehicle design and driving experience brought on by advanced electrification technology.
Toyota Santa Rosa’s solar tech
Toyota Motor Philippines Corp just announced the expansion of its solar facility at its Santa Rosa, Laguna plant, in line with the acceleration of its “Plant Carbon Neutrality” goals by 15 years from the originally planned target date 2050, aligning with the new target of Global Toyota to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of all its manufacturing plants.
This was revealed during the June 22 inauguration of its expanded 1.46-megawatt (MW) solar facility that powers its manufacturing plant and head office. TMP is the local manufacturer of Toyota Vios and Innova.
TMP said that it invested over P94 million for the solar array project. As a result, the company will reduce its emissions by as much as 1,400 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to 2.9 million trees planted over 20 years.
MAIN PHOTO: Toyota Motor Philippines Corp.’s expanded 1.46-megawatt (MW) solar facility that powers its manufacturing plant and head office.
