Electric cars: their potential impact upon the sustainability of the UK's energy and transport industries
Below are all the assignment information and hope to get a good essay on that thanks. UNIT CODE: 6F5Z2005 UNIT TITLE: Natural Resources & Pollution TITLE AND NUMBER OF ASSIGNMENT: Assignment 1 Electric cars: their potential impact upon the sustainability of the UK's energy and transport industries WEIGHTING 50% Electric cars: their potential impact upon the sustainability of the UK's energy and transport industries Introduction and concept: In this assignment you are going to analyse the potential impact of increasing numbers of electrical vehicles in the UK. Electric vehicles may soon become competitive with Diesel engine vehicles for the general motorist, i.e. for both domestic and light industrial use. Prepare a report making a quantitative comparison of the sustainability implications for the UK of these two classes of vehicles over the next 20 years. Your assignment The aim of this assignment is to discuss the potential impact for the UK of increasing numbers of electrical vehicles. This scope of assignment embraces the concepts, principles and material discussed in all of the autumn term's lectures. A potential assessment strategy As a starting point, you may assume that - because of fuel costs and changes in behaviour due to environmental concerns - annual mileage will not exceed 15,000 km per annum per vehicle (perhaps rather less for electric vehicles). You will need to decide upon the likely rate of annual uptake of electric vehicles. You may wish to consider:- - The likely availability and cost of diesel or bio-diesel fuel vis-à-vis electricity. - The possible (future) primary sources of electricity in the UK. - The implications for the national electricity supply mix, (both technological and geographical) should substantial market penetration by electric vehicles occur. This may also affect retail pricing strategies. - The likely availability and cost of other non-renewable resources required for the manufacture of any such vehicles. - The possible implications of such market changes on the UK's CO2 emissions, and on local air quality. - Possible changes in people's attitudes to power generation and consumption. - Anything else you consider relevant. Remember (a) that the point of the exercise is to look at the relative sustainability of the widespread use of these two classes of vehicle - the various issues listed above should be considered in this light - and (b) that a quantitative analysis, albeit approximate, should be attempted wherever possible:- I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind... William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), May 1883 Assessment criteria / Marking scheme / Grade descriptors: Please read and adhere to the guidelines in this assignment sheet. The overall assignment marks will reflect the grade descriptors found in the 2nd year student handbook. The assignment structure should include an introductory section (10% of marks), a discussion (70% of the marks), a concluding section (10% of marks) and a Harvard formatted reference list (10% of marks) corresponding to your source citations. Your fully referenced assignment will make full use of the available academic literature and appropriate internet and data sources. It will be well written and argued, include as appropriate energy consumption and generation scenarios. Your assignment will link implicitly to the core material of this unit's term 1 lectures. The overall assignment marks will reflect the grade descriptors found in the 2nd year student handbook. Resources and Starter References: Refer to the additional material appended below and to reading lists and the supporting unit web site at https://moodle(dot)mmu(dot)ac(dot)uk Word limit: Coursework that exceeds the stated page limits will be penalised according to the following scheme: - If your work exceeds the stated word limit by more than 10% your mark will be reduced by 10% (ie one degree class). - If your work exceeds the stated word limit by more than 30% your mark will be capped at 40%. Assignment 1 (Portfolio) submission method: To be submitted via the Faculty Assessment Posting Boxes near the JD Student Hub. WORD LIMIT: 2500 (excluding references, tables and figure captions) WORD PROCESSED: YES DATE SET: 4th Oct 2013 SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Wed 29th January 2014. Work submitted later than this will receive 0% (zero %) Your fully referenced assignment will make full use of the available academic literature and appropriate internet and data sources. -It will be well written and argued, include as appropriate energy consumption and generation scenarios Note (a) the point of the exercise is to look at the relative sustainability of the widespread use of these two classes of vehicle - the various issues listed above should be considered in this light (b) a quantitative analysis, albeit approximate, should be attempted wherever possible:- I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind You will need to decide upon the likely rate of annual uptake of electric vehicles. -How much fuel is needed? DVLA site has useful info -What are the differences in manufacturing / design constraints between diesel & electric Electric cars: You may wish to consider - -The likely availability and cost of diesel or bio-diesel fuel vis-à-vis electricity. -The possible (future) primary sources of electricity in the UK. –Renewables -Wind (off shore & on shore) -Biomass -Biodiesel (and associated agricultural issues, cost, availability) -Solar PV -Hydro (tidal and pump storage) –Fossil fuels (coal, gas) –Shale gas –Nuclear power (see additional slides) -uranium exchange -the geographical nature of the supplies even if not a rare mineral -plant costs / unit energy cost continues to rise -Life cycle analysis – technology dependent (AGR vs PWR) -Decommissioning –Fusion (its likely time scale) –UK Government / EU Regulation The implications for the national electricity supply mix, should substantial market penetration by electric vehicles occur. – Consider technological issues –Geographical issues –How this may also affect retail pricing strategies. -The likely availability and cost of other non-renewable resources required for the manufacture of any such vehicles. -The possible implications of such market changes on the UK's CO2 emissions, and on local air quality. -Possible changes in people's attitudes to power generation and consumption
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Electric cars: their potential impact upon the sustainability of the UKs energy and transport industries
Natural resources and pollution
Electronic vehicles are the only promise remaining in the United Kingdom for reducing drastically the carbon emissions. This will only be achieved if electric vehicles will be adopted widely by the populations living in the United Kingdom. Electronic vehicles have been advocated for as the only solution to the existing surface transport carbon emission problem. Electric vehicles once adopted in the United Kingdom, they will act as a plank that will enable the United Kingdom achieve their vision to reduce carbon emissions by the year 2008 with regard to the climate change act (Momber, 2011).
It is worth noting that bio fuel were hoped to solve issues with regard to emissions as well as the availability of fuel. This was expected to reduce to a great extent the need to have car technology change in the United Kingdom. However these expectations were found not to conform to the need for energy in the United Kingdom as they total amount of energy that was expected to be supplied by these sources would be way below the demanded amount (Kley, Wietschel, & Dallinger, 2010).
The only preferred policy that reached and found to achieve their vision was the introduction of electric vehicles as they have the capacity to ensure a sustainable mobility that is long term. The rationale of this paper shall be to explore the whole issue of electric cars, the concepts and principles, and examine the different ways electric vehicles will impact on the United Kingdom sustainability with regard to transport and energies industries (Randolph & Masters, 2008). It is worth noting that the future of the road transport will therefore be fuelled by a matrix of bio fuel, electricity, synthetic fuel and possibly hydrogen will also be used especially with captive fleet. These would be good as they would be used by large vehicles especially busses (Abdallah 2013).
Once electric vehicle are fully adopted in the United Kingdom, there will be competition between the diesel engines and the electronic vehicles especially among the light industry and the domestic use. The competition is set to reduce by the next 20 years since the new technology where electronic vehicles are being introduced will be almost fully adopted. However to achieve the objectives of having a sustainable environment which requires that carbon emission be reduced, there are a number of challenges that have to be overcome (Kreiser, 2012).
Infrastructure, ownership and billing challenge
One of the industries in the United Kingdom that has shown its readiness to face the challenges with regard to developing the electronic vehicles for the mass market is the automotive industry. To be able to produce electronic vehicles for the wide market, there are a number of thing which are a prerequisite if this objective is to be achieved (Electric Vehicle Development Group 2009). Among the thing that have been said to be prerequisites is the development of charging infrastructures which will be used to ensure that the electronic vehicles are operational. Another prerequisite with regard to achieving this vision is that there have to be functional standards which will have the responsibility for billing. In addition to that, there requires a consumer proposition, one that is compelling to the consumers as well as a there be a model which must be new especially for vehicles used for personal transport (Beer 2011).
One of the challenges that is said to be major is the provision of the charging infrastructure which will be used by the electronic vehicles. This is because in the United Kingdom, an active collaboration between the local and national governments, electricity distribution companies, car park operators, bank card issuers and collaboration with other partners who have are not concerned with transport and supply of energy (Electric Vehicle Association of Great Britain 2007). Such an active collaboration that includes all the diverse parties for the project to be successful has to be closely monitored and coordinated. At the moment in the United Kingdom, there is no particular body that have been identified as the one to be in control.
Financial challenge is the other stumbling block that exists with regard to the establishment of electronic vehicle. It occurs that the financial case at the moment for electronic vehicles, carbon emission is the only existing penalty (Leitman 2009). Other policies that had been put in place for instance rod fuel taxation are not clear on whether such policies would be sustained if electronic vehicle are to become popular similar to how the diesel vehicles have been. The government will be required to come up with a policy that will elaborate the new ways it will be replacing the duty formerly on fuel in the medium term (Dhameja, 2011).
Carbon saving
The electronic vehicles have an advantage compared to the diesel vehicles with regard to carbon dioxide emissions. However there is a challenge that comes with the electric vehicles. This is because the time taken by electronic vehicle to recharge is much more compared to refuelling of combustion engine in refuelling stations (Leitman 2009). As a result, there are indications that people will prefer to use combustion engines compared to electric vehicles since they save on time. To keep these challenge in control, it is required that more fund be allocated towards research such that battery charging cycles and other option with regard to fast charging needs be introduced (Larminie & Lowry, 2012).
Electricity supply management
If the electric vehicles are to be effective in that they will reduce the carbon emissions, it occurs that the source of electricity must be green too (Dhameja 2011). A recent research showing the difference in carbon emission between combustion engines and electric vehicles shows that electric vehicles emissions are almost the same to combustive engines. It therefore requires that if the electric vehicles are to have an impact, electric supply aimed at supplying power to the electric vehicle has to be decarbonised (Pistoia 2010)
In Europe, United Kingdom happen to be one of the countries where renewable energy as well as low carbon energy is produced in very low volumes. It therefore occurs that if the United Kingdom is to achieve the dream of having electric vehicles, as well as the renewable targets, a number of new energy sources that have low carbon have to be invented. Some of these sources that have to be discovered to produce energy are nuclear power stations, tidal barrages as well as wind farm. This can as well be said to be the new frontier with regard to the new energy sources in the United Kingdom (Electric Vehicle Committee, 2010).
Another source of energy that can be used to help achieve the desired level of energy supply with regard to the demand in the market is the natural gas. It is believed that natural gas can be harnessed since it is in large quantities to be able to meet the ever growing demand for electric energy especially with the growing market for electric vehicles. This is where the future of the energy in the United Kingdom can be said to be headed for (Larminie 2012)
However, with regard to the renewable sources of energy, the situation on the ground is that these sources are under control in that their carbon content can be managed adequately. It is worth noting that if the impact of electric vehicles in the united kingdom is to be felt, it require that the existing programmes be massively changed, and the government leadership be very strong to achieve this vision (Leitman 2009). The parties that will be charged with the responsibility of supplying energy have to go over the challenge of matching the needs of the fleet of electric vehicles. This is because all the electric vehicles have varying demands and the supply of power in the United Kingdom is unpredictable (Leitman 2009).
As the popularity of the electric vehicle will continue to grow over time in the United Kingdom, it occurs that it will have some influence in that it will strain the national electricity grid. The popularity of the electric vehicle will also have effects on the distribution system and as a matter of fact they will be strained. Initi...