Critical Analysis: Building a Sustainable Organization with EVs

This report provides a critical analysis of the electric vehicle (EV) industry and its role in building a sustainable organization. It examines the industry's growth, key players, and the advantages and challenges associated with EVs, particularly in reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change. The report highlights the increasing prominence of EVs in the UK, driven by government initiatives, environmental concerns, and technological advancements. It also addresses the complexities surrounding the sustainability of EV production, including the energy-intensive manufacturing of batteries and the challenges of battery recycling. Furthermore, the report includes a personal reflection on aligning with sustainability ideals, emphasizing the importance of individual lifestyle changes and ethical consumption practices to minimize environmental impact. Desklib provides access to this and other solved assignments for students.

Building a
sustainable
organization

Contents
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY............................................................................................................................3
PART A.................................................................................................................................3
PART B..................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
In the modern day business landscape, simply going about doing the routine business
activities and only concerning themselves with the sole goal of earning money and staying
profitable is no longer enough for corporates to stay ahead of the curve as there is great
emphasis played on CSR and sustainability to ensure the natural resources and the
environment are not harmed (Hedstrom, 2018). Many companies are running customized
solutions and campaigns to go green while there are many firms being setup which are
coming up with new and innovative new machine solutions to make the world a better and
more clean place.
A great example of such solutions are the electric vehicles industry which build and
design locomotives powered through sunlight and solar energy and this report will be based
on the critical analysis of this industry to determine the extent of sustainability of these
vehicles and their viability in fighting environmental degradation.
MAIN BODY
PART A
Detailed research of the electric vehicle industry
The shift on sustainability has become evident in the recent years as many companies
in the UK have come out not that are not only building electric vehicles but also fully fledged
startups have popped up which are pumping out innovative and efficient support structures
for them. Some prominent examples of this promising development is the RES EV which
work on custom EV charger installations, TESLA UK which is the market leader of this
market segment with both range of premium cars and stations which has made the UK EV

industry quite prominent and lucrative in these latest years with a promising future outlook
(Specialist EV Charger Installation, 2022).
Another major reason as to why electric vehicles have come to the forefront in the
fight against climate change and the movement for protection of environmental and
atmospheric interests is that emissions and footprints left by modern transportation of all
kinds is a major contributor to the sorry state of natural surrounding that people all over the
world see around themselves. As the sentiment towards going green caught mainstream
attention and led to governments and nations to mobilize in major meetings such as the Paris
agreement, the need to drive around and travel using eco-friendly means became the need of
the hour in countries like UK and the EV industry has not looked back since. A major
evidence of the current prominence of EV’s can be judged from latest industrial data which
states that for the year 2021, overall car production in the UK slumped by a 6.7% margin
which is a disappointing scenario overall but the shift towards electric vehicles was huge as
they comprised a 26.1% of the entire cars made in the country which is a major direction
giver to the whole industry going low carbon or eventually carbon neutral in its operations
(EV car manufacturing jumps in the UK but overall production sinks to 65-year low, 2022).
A close look at the industry and research on its current prevailing conditions also
helps in highlighting exactly how electric cars gained such increased prominence in a limited
time frame to an extent where they are considered one of humanity’s greatest assets in
combating the damage done to the environment. Some reasons as to why EV’s have gained a
strong foothold worldwide has been listed herein.

 It has scientifically proven to be an effective method to instill decarbonization in
many industries
 World governments are interested to get rid on their crippling need to buy and keep
reserves of fossil fuels
 The cars look much better and take care of their drivers in a more advanced and
futuristic way
The current EV industry in UK is dominated by some heavyweight brands but there is
healthy competition as customers are asking for electric cars to come in economical segments
as well. Porsche and Tesla are clear cut market leaders with superior and extremely pricey
luxury segment offerings while brands like Fiat and Kia are advancing with better pricing in
the market (Best electric cars 2022 UK, 2022). As far as the electric vehicle charging goes,
companies like IOnity, Newmotion and Instavolt are making headlines and making access to
daily usage of these cars much easier.
There are various advantages associated with EV’s which does raise an argument in
their favor regarding their overall effectiveness in being a solid option towards attaining
sustainability, some of which are highlighted below.
 EV’s have no exhaustion pipeline which makes them incapable to leave harmful
emissions which is a major side effect of cars which run on fuels.
 The time isn’t far when there will be rules, regulations and penalties for causing
vehicle pollution in ‘clean air zones’ which makes these cars a future proof
investment.
 The EV’s for most part are exempt from taxes and have very low maintenance and
service charges which makes them economical in the long run

 When compared to petrol and diesel running devices, the EV’s emit much less sounds
during starting for the duration for the travel which helps curb noise pollution.
 Electric vehicles are more valuable than traditional cars and enjoy a much higher
resale value in the automobile market.
Similarly the industry is not without its struggles and challenges as there are some tough
future outlooks for the EV industry going forward with are described herein.
 Even though electric battery production has increased multifold in countries like
UK, the production is still not up to the mark where it can keep up and match up
with the demand.
 Despite electric charging stations being installed by man y competent brands and
newly opened startups, they are not located in all major locations and the
technology is still in the development stage.
 Although the EV’s might save money in the long run, the initial investment in
very steep for the everyday general consumer and driver
 Compared to the mileage and fuel efficiency which is displayed by traditional
cars, EV’s are lagging behind even still as the distances they can travel is little
compared to the charge it requires to get them up and running
Are EV’s the answer to reducing carbon emissions and fighting climate change?
Amidst the surging popularity of electric vehicles globally even in medium sized
nations is something to look at with a critical lens as many have hailed the invention as the
end all be all approach which will help fight the battle when it comes to curbing all types of
pollution ranging from burning of fossil fuels to noise pollution and carbon emissions. The

burning question that needs answering is just how sustainable and practical EV’s really are
and the answer is complicated and somewhere in the middle. The sheer numbers of EV’s on
the streets that includes but is not limited to cars, buses, trucks as well as vans have increased
exponentially and the International Energy Agency has predicted the market number to hit
upwards of 145 million by 2030 which is excellent news for the future of the industry but a
major point which often gets overlooked is the amount of pollution and substance emission
that occurs during the manufacturing of such vehicles and their battery storage as well as
charging (Global electric car sales set for further strong growth after 40% rise in 2020,
2022). Studies have shown that in countries like Europe, China and the United States, the
production process to turn out one functioning electric car is responsible for more greenhouse
gas emissions than those of fuel powered vehicles which is a major problem which needs
urgent attention (Electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than their gas-powered
counterparts, but they still lag behind in one key area: production, 2022). The reason behind
this major drawback which is holding back EV’s from being fully sustainable is their massive
batteries which is necessary for them to function and they are much bigger in size than
traditional car batteries. Another factor is that many major components of electric cars such
as batteries are made up of Lithium Ion which requires tons of energy to produce in large
amounts. Another argument which throws a wrench in the championing EV’s as the
prominent answer to climate change is the fact that science really doesn’t have a concrete
way to explain how exactly the batteries that power these vehicles are recycled and broken
down after they break down or are put out of commission. According to the conventional car
study, the fuel powered vehicles have 99% of their batteries replaced each year in the United
States which is far more than their electrical counterparts (Are electric cars 'green'? The
answer is yes, but it's complicated, 2022).

However despite these counterpoints existing and posing big questions, it is a
scientific fact that in the long run, EV’s emit and are responsible for far less pollution than
traditional devices which is proved by a recent research conducted by University of Michigan
with ford motors in which emission quantity was studied and compared between fuel based
trucks and their electrical and light duty counterparts. It was found that the regular use of the
latter caused emission levels to go down by a large margin. By themselves, EV’s may not be
the ultimate weapon against environmental harm but they are a major step in the right
direction with a bright future to look forward to thanks to constant hi-tech innovations
gracing the sector like new electric stations and charging methods being introduced in UK
(Neves, Marques and Fuinhas, 2018).
PART B
Reflection on complying with sustainability ideals
Simply using electric cars and the latest technological innovations to declare ourselves
sustainable and friendly towards the environment, it is equally important that we take a deep
look at our daily habits and routines to undertake deep introspection into how sustainable we
really are. Analyzing my personal lifestyle points out various critical errors which must be
corrected to gain a stronger push towards being more green and complying well with the
expected standards of sustainability. A brief outlook on my lifestyle and its impact on the
environment is given herein.
 I am passionate about automobiles and being a freshman on his first job out of
college, I drive in a traditional low cost fuel powered car which is definitely taxing on
the environment but the major downside of EV’s being their absurdly high cost

decreases my chances to upgrade anytime soon. A switch up to EV’s from traditional
cars is definitely a major step for every person to become greener in their daily lives.
 The use of plastic by me is regulated and I try to use as much natural packing in my
brought products and household tasks as they are major pollutants which must be
eventually 100% curbed.
 When it comes to food wastage, I leave food on my plate sometimes which upon
reflecting is something we all need to stop doing as it takes a lot of effort and energy
to grow grains and wasting them is a travesty.
 There is a decent amount of paper in use at my home for my office and college work
but I have started to digitize most of my activities to save all forms of paper as they
come directly from cutting trees which is a major blow to environment globally.
To comply with sustainability ideals, we must think about and prioritize our surroundings and
should commit ourselves to be ethical and strictly regulative about wasting resources and we
should take every habit up which helps keep our carbon footprint in check. Apart from simply
purchasing and going around driving an electric car, there are also public conducts and
ethical ways to take care of EV’s and people must also practice personal routines and habits
which do not extract a heavy toll on their natural surroundings. The driver that sits inside an
EV is equally in charge of promoting sustainability and committing towards a greener future
compared to the vehicle instead. The inventions being green won’t mean much if we aren’t
cautious of polluting our surroundings.
CONCLUSION
The above concluded report went into detail regarding the importance and recent
prominence in the daily life of people and the corporate world in regards to sustainability and

commitment to do good by the environment through curbing the emissions and controlling
the amount of carbon put into the surroundings as a result of various activities. There was a
critical analysis done on the EV industry worldwide with a special focus on the current
developments in respect to UK which revealed many interesting facts. The rise of EV’s, their
benefits, challenges along with the current market players were all described to determine
whether or not they were the best answer to attain sustainability or not. It was concluded that
there were some glaring issues keeping EV’s from becoming world class environmental
solutions but the picture is quite bright as the technology keeps evolving. The report also
included a personal reflection on complying with sustainability ideals.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Hedstrom, G.S., 2018. Sustainability: What it is and how to Measure it. Walter de Gruyter
GmbH & Co KG.

Neves, S.A., Marques, A.C. and Fuinhas, J.A., 2018. On the drivers of peak electricity
demand: What is the role played by battery electric cars?. Energy, 159, pp.905-915.
Online Referencing
Specialist EV Charger Installation, 2022 [online] available through < https://res-ev.co.uk/>
EV car manufacturing jumps in the UK but overall production sinks to 65-year low, 2022
[online] available through < https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/27/ev-manufacturing-jumps-in-
uk-overall-production-sinks-to-65-year-low.html>
Best electric cars 2022 UK, 2022 [online] available through
<https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/electric/best-electric-cars-and-evs/>
Global electric car sales set for further strong growth after 40% rise in 2020, 2022 [online]
available through < https://www.iea.org/news/global-electric-car-sales-set-for-further-strong-
growth-after-40-rise-in-2020>
Electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than their gas-powered counterparts, but
they still lag behind in one key area: production, 2022 [online] available through <
https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/the-faa-considered-grounding-38-southwest-
jets-over-incomplete-maintenance-records/articleshow/72014082.cms>
Are electric cars 'green'? The answer is yes, but it's complicated, 2022 [online] available
through < https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/26/lifetime-emissions-of-evs-are-lower-than-
gasoline-cars-experts-say.html>