In 2018 the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, an agency of the United Nations) estimated the number of international tourists in the world to be 1.3 billion people, roughly 17 per cent of the 7,594 billion people in the Earth that year. With a world becoming more global and more aware, many began to think of the consequences of their travel. So much so, that sustainable travel became a popular buzzword. But is travel ever really sustainable?
Although many may like to believe Elon Musk pioneered the innovative idea of the electric car, the first practical electric car may have been built by English inventor Thomas Parker in 1884. So why did it only become popular towards the latter half of the 20th century? Price points, speed and difficulties increasing battery lives have all been factors. Despite its popularity, the average Tesla is too expensive for a mainstream choice.
But if we ignore the price, how sustainable is a Tesla? Just because it doesn’t emit CO2, it doesn’t mean that CO2 is not emitted in the production of the electricity used to power it. Across the world, electricity is generated through nuclear, oil, gas, coal and renewables, such as tide or solar. Over and above, the power consumed in the production of the Tesla relies on key components copper, nickel, lithium and related minerals.
We must then ask ourselves how sustainable these materials are and whether they are in copious supply. A Medium article by John Katsos, a sustainability researcher, argues that Teslas (and other electric cars for that matter) are not sustainable. He contends that in a gas-powered vehicle 80 per cent of parts are reusable and recyclable. Whilst Teslas (and electric cars generally) incorporate 1,600 lbs or more of electronic waste (e-waste). Yet despite this global capacity for recycling e-waste is only about 5%.
This e-waste is also much more hazardous than traditional waste when not recycled and can wreak havoc on the environment around it. E-waste has become a huge global problem with much of it being exported to developing countries without the facilities to deal with it. This is because e-waste contains toxic chemicals that can be released into the environment or atmosphere if not effectively treated.
In principle, an electric car may be the future with its pollution-free driving but a lot more work would have to be done to ensure a global rollout of an electric car. Tesla’s remarkable inefficiency with raw materials does not set it to the forefront of the market, with as high as 40 % being scrapped in production.
Earlier this year BBC announced the largest electric ferry, Ellen. When fully charged she can sail 22 nautical miles with up to 200 passengers and 30 cars. There are 840 lithium batteries (provided by Swiss firm Leclanché) used to power her. But it has not been an easy ride, building so many batteries into the boat has been difficult and some cells have since been replaced.
To determine the feasibility of wide usage of electric ferries, such as Ellen, we need to first consider the supply of the lithium batteries used to power it. The fact is the components used exist in finite amounts that are unlikely to meet both the current and future demands for battery units. These batteries also do not just magically appear but require a range of rare earth metals that can only be sourced by heavy mining and manufacturing, thus emitting significant emissions.
Only last week it was announced that the world’s largest all-electric plane took flight. The eCaravan is a retrofitted Cessna and can carry up to nine people. It is powered by a 750-horsepower electric motor and supplied with energy by more than 2000 pounds of lithium-ion batteries. If a nine-seater plane requires 2000 pounds of batteries, one can only imagine how many pounds would be required to supply an average-sized plane seating 150-200 people. One bonus point in the case of the eCaravan, however, is that an already existing plane was recycled and refitted with the batteries.
The first electric passenger train was presented by Werner von Siemens at Berlin in 1879 at an industrial exposition. Today rail transport is the most electrified transport sector with 3/4 of rail passenger movements relying on electricity. It is powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a battery or a super-capacitor.
The current limit of a battery-powered train appears to be about 60 miles, which is not sufficient for long-distance train travel. This might suggest the only solution to full-scale electrification of the railways is to install either a third rail or overhead lines throughout the network. However, there are real challenges in achieving this goal and areas such as bridges, tunnels, access or safety issues may present insuperable obstacles. A hybrid locomotive powered mostly by overhead lines or a third rail supported by small batteries may address these issues.
In conclusion, if all transport systems were electrified, the most sustainable way to travel would be via a hybrid electric train powered mainly by a third rail or overhead lines supported by small batteries to navigate the difficult parts. Unless, of course, an alternative source of materials or production was found for an electric battery.