Around the world, engineers and innovators are redesigning the cars we drive—not just to move us faster, but to move us toward a cleaner and more sustainable future. While one car doesn’t make a huge impact on greenhouse gas emissions, the entire transportation economic sector makes up 28% of the emissions in the United States. Because they make such a large impact, automotive engineers are working on new ways to reduce vehicle emissions through electric vehicles, improved fuel efficiency, sustainable materials, and cleaner manufacturing processes.
The Rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Electric vehicles, whether they are hybrid or fully powered by electricity, are quickly becoming popular in today’s market. Depending on the area, EVs can offer lower maintenance costs and a cheaper alternative to refueling a regular car. But they’re not just great for drivers.
Because EVs don’t use regular fuel, they don’t produce tailpipe emissions, which reduces air pollution and greenhouse gases. Generating the electricity needed to power the car might create carbon pollution, but with a new focus on solar and wind energy instead of coal or natural gas, EVs still have a lower carbon footprint.
These electric vehicles are specifically designed to help the regular consumer lower their impact on the environment, but automotive engineers are making the industry more sustainable through regular cars, too.
Improving Fuel Efficiency
Fuel efficiency is important for drivers and the environment. In cars, fuel efficiency can make a car go farther per gallon and reduce emissions. Because this is so important for sustainability and quality, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration makes special regulations for how far vehicles must travel on a gallon of fuel. The Environmental Protection Agency makes similar regulations so that smog and soot from vehicles doesn’t pollute our clean air.
Automotive engineers get to improve vehicles, whether that’s better engines, hybrid systems, or a more aerodynamic design for the car. Using fuel more efficiently can lead to lower emissions and lower costs for drivers because they’re paying for less gas.
While emissions and greenhouse gases are big problems, sustainability isn’t just about fuel efficiency; it also depends on what materials vehicles are made from and how factories produce them.
Sustainable Materials and Design
Automotive engineers don’t just focus on fuel efficiency when they improve vehicles; every aspect of the design matters. When it comes to the materials used to make modern vehicles, engineers are looking for the lightest and sturdiest. This could be high-strength steel or aluminum, which reduces weight and improves fuel economy in a car.
The interior of a car is just as important as the exterior, and automotive engineers are making that more sustainable, too. Big car companies, like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Hyundai, are working with engineers in several different fields to develop biodegradable plastics that can be used in cars. They’ve already started using sustainable lightweight materials for floor mats, seat coverings, and floor carpets.
Using lighter materials and biodegradable plastics are big changes that the automotive engineer industry is making to be more sustainable, but these aren’t the only changes. The manufacturing process itself is changing, too.
Cleaner Manufacturing and Life-Cycle Assessment
To see how sustainable their practices actually are, the automotive engineering industry needs to measure the environmental impact of each product. One way they can do this is with a life-cycle assessment (LCA). According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, this process tracks products through its whole life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to its final disposal or recycling. In the automotive engineering industry, LCA helps manufacturing realize and reduce their environmental impact at every stage of production.
After looking at the life-cycle assessment for a product, many automakers are reducing their environmental impact by using renewable energy in factories and developing recycling programs for batteries. With the adoption of energy efficiency and recycling in manufacturing, they can significantly lower emissions and make every vehicle they produce more sustainable.
These life-cycle efforts show that sustainability is not just about how a car drives and how much fuel it uses; it’s about how it’s designed, built, powered, and eventually recycled. Automotive engineers make up a big part of this process, designing materials and processes that improve their products and reduce their impact.
Sustainability for the Road
With the growing popularity of electric vehicles, stricter fuel standards, sustainable materials, and cleaner production, the automotive engineering industry is reducing their impact, one step at a time. Sustainability for the road isn’t going to happen overnight, but it can happen over several years with automotive engineers who care.
As technology advances and policies keep up, the automotive engineering industry has the potential to balance innovation, economic growth, and environmental responsibility. Together, these engineers and companies can drive us toward a cleaner future.
Sources
Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions EPA
Is Charging an Electric Car Cheaper Than Gas? Chevrolet
Electric Vehicle Myths EPA
Corporate Average Fuel Economy NHTSA
Regulations for On-road Vehicles and Engines EPA
Advanced Materials in Automotive SME
Bioplastics: A Sustainable Alternative to Car Interior Stellarix
What is life cycle assessment (LCA)? Rochester Institute of Technology
The Renewable Energy Revolution In The Automotive Industry Forbes