Battery Production and Materials
- High carbon footprint of batteries: Producing a typical EV with a 75-kWh battery pack generates over seven tons of CO2 equivalent emissions just from the battery, in addition to the 5-10 tons of emissions associated with vehicle body manufacturing shared with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
- Energy-intensive processes: The production of battery components, especially anode and cathode active materials, requires high temperatures that consume large amounts of energy, contributing substantially to emissions.
- Materials extraction and refining: EV batteries use critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and graphite. Mining and refining these materials emit significant greenhouse gases due to fossil fuel use and the energy intensity of extraction processes.
Energy Sources and Supply Chain Factors
- Energy source for production: The carbon intensity of battery manufacturing heavily depends on the type of energy used. Facilities powered by renewable energy (solar, wind) have much lower emissions than those relying on fossil fuels like natural gas.
- Supply chain and transportation: Emissions are influenced by the choice of raw material suppliers and the distances materials are transported, with longer routes and less efficient logistics increasing the embedded emissions.
Vehicle and Battery Chemistry Variations
- Battery chemistry differences: Emissions vary by the battery chemistry used. For example, Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) batteries have a higher share of emissions from mineral processing compared to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries, which have relatively more emissions from manufacturing.
- Vehicle size and battery capacity: Larger vehicles requiring bigger batteries produce more embedded emissions during manufacturing due to greater material and energy demands.
Comparison with Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles
- While the chassis and body production emissions are similar for EVs and ICE vehicles, EV manufacturing emissions are generally higher due to the battery production stage. Studies find that 46% of an EV’s carbon emissions come from production, compared to 26% for ICE vehicles.
- Building an EV can generate around 80% more emissions than building a comparable gas-powered car, largely due to battery manufacturing.
In summary, the higher emissions during EV manufacturing stem from the energy-intensive extraction and processing of battery materials, the energy source powering manufacturing facilities, battery chemistry, and vehicle size. Decarbonizing energy inputs and improving battery production efficiency can significantly reduce these initial emissions.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-factors-contribute-to-the-higher-emissions-during-ev-manufacturing/
