Research Proposal: Energy Transition in Automobile Industry

This research proposal explores the efficiency of renewable energy in the modern automobile sector. It examines the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources, particularly focusing on the German automobile industry's shift towards electric vehicles. The study investigates the sustainability of these innovations, considering the potential impact on air and noise pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. The research employs a mixed-method approach, collecting data from existing literature, institutional surveys, and case studies from countries like China, India, and the USA. The central research questions address the sustainable efficiency of innovations in the automobile industry and the potential role of renewable energy in mitigating environmental challenges. The proposal aims to provide relevant recommendations for sustainable development in the automotive sector, acknowledging the global impact of the industry on energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Research Proposal
Student’s name
University
Author’s note

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RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Title
Energy Transition in Automobile Industry and rise of Carbon Emission: A contradictory Vision
Introduction
Energy usage and Energy consumption have remained as central challenges in the
discourse of sustainable development. Since the Brundtland Commission Report,
environmentalists and researchers have emphasized the importance of sustainable energy time
and again. Given the urgency and significance of the issue, the United Nations have recognized
the access to affordable and clean energy as a distinct sustainable development goal. It stipulates
the promotion and adoption of renewable energy sources over the traditional energy, investing in
solar, thermal, wind and other viable non-traditional sources. However, consumption of fossil
fuel has remained as a global practice all across the world. In the current timeframe, crude oil is
the largest source of fossil energy, followed by coal and natural gas respectively (Nerini et al.
2018).
Right after the industrial sector, transportation and automobile industry is the biggest
player in the fossil fuel consumption (García-Olivares, Solé and Osychenko 2018). However, in
the past 20 years, fossil fuel economy has significantly improved, following the Global Fuel
Economy Initiative. The automobile industry, especially pertaining to the developed countries, is
gradually shifting to innovative technologies to reduce fossil fuel reduction. Decrease in the
shares of diesel vehicles, switch to gasoline run and electrified automobiles and an increased
demand of lightweight vehicles have been the most significant drivers of change in this regard
(GFEI, 2017).

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RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Among all the countries, the German automobile industry is also gearing up to embrace
the change. Being home to the modern car technology, Germany has always been the most
innovative and competitive sector, with the ranks of third largest card producer and fourth
highest total motor vehicle producer, having functioning manufacturing units of all the leading
manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Volkswagen, Porsche etc.
(Rawlinson and Wells 2016)
Keeping up with the trends of sustainable innovation, Germany reportedly has ambitious
plans regarding both renewable energy and electric cars. In October 2016, the upper house of the
German legislative chamber proposed a phase-out of gasoline-run vehicle by 2030 (Csala, 2017).
Although there is no official policy yet, the call is sufficient to send strong signals to the major
players of the automobile industry.
However, some researchers indicate that a switch to electric cars will not solve the
sustainability issue. Although it would yield positive result in terms of fossil fuel consumption,
the increased demand for lightweight electric vehicles will eventually lead up to increased air
and noise pollution, as well as GHG emission. The world already has more than 1 billion cars on
road, and it is likely to hit the 2 billion mark by the end of 2020. Given the magnitude of vehicles
on road, is the switch really effective to ensure sustainability?
Research questions
The present research proposes to explore the efficiency of renewable energy to ensure
sustainability in the modern automobile sector. In this regard, it will seek the answers to the
following questions:
i) Are the innovations in automobile industry sustainably efficient?

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RESEARCH PROPOSAL
ii) What role could renewable energy play to mitigate the challenge?
Research Method
The research will follow a secondary mixed-method approach, integrating both
quantitative and qualitative data relevant to the questions.
Data Collection and Analysis
The data will be extracted from existing literature and institutional surveys, including
relevant case studies from other countries such as China, India and the USA.
Relevance
The research is expected to be closely related with the issue of sustainable development,
and will attempt to come up with relevant recommendations to be applied to the challenge.

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RESEARCH PROPOSAL
References
Csala, D., 2017. Germany's Plan For 100% Electric Cars May Actually Increase Carbon
Emissions. [online] The Conversation. Available at: <http://theconversation.com/germanys-plan-
for-100-electric-cars-may-actually-increase-carbon-emissions-72997> [Accessed 23 March
2020].
García-Olivares, A., Solé, J. and Osychenko, O., 2018. Transportation in a 100% renewable
energy system. Energy Conversion and Management, 158, pp.266-285.
GFEI, 2017. Promoting Cleaner and More Efficient Vehicles-The Global Fuel Economy
Initiative.
Nerini, F.F., Tomei, J., To, L.S., Bisaga, I., Parikh, P., Black, M., Borrion, A., Spataru, C., Broto,
V.C., Anandarajah, G. and Milligan, B., 2018. Mapping synergies and trade-offs between energy
and the Sustainable Development Goals. Nature Energy, 3(1), pp.10-15.
Rawlinson, M. and Wells, P., 2016. The new European automobile industry. Springer.