Driving Sustainability: Carbon Footprint, 3D Printing, and Legislation concerning Electric and Autonomous Vehicles

Mihailo Jovanović; Tomás de J Mateo Sanguino; Milanko Damjanović; Milena Đukanović; Nikolas Thomopoulos

doi:10.3390/s23229104

Driving Sustainability: Carbon Footprint, 3D Printing, and Legislation concerning Electric and Autonomous Vehicles

Sensors (Basel). 2023 Nov 10;23(22):9104. doi: 10.3390/s23229104.

Authors

Mihailo Jovanović¹, Tomás de J Mateo Sanguino², Milanko Damjanović³, Milena Đukanović⁴, Nikolas Thomopoulos⁵

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Management Herceg Novi, University Adriatik, Zemunska 143, 85348 Meljine, Montenegro.
² Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Huelva, Av. de las Artes, s/n, 21007 Huelva, Spain.
³ Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Montenegro, Dzordza Vasingtona bb, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro.
⁴ Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Montenegro, Dzordza Vasingtona bb, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro.
⁵ Department of Tourism and Transport, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a remarkable development in the technology and legislation related to electric and autonomous vehicles (i.e., EVs/AVs). This technological advancement requires the deployment of the most up-to-date supporting infrastructure to achieve safe operation. Further infrastructure is needed for Level 5 vehicles, namely the introduction of super-fast wireless 5G technology. To achieve harmony between the rapid technological advancement of EVs/AVs and environmental preservation, enacting legislation related to their sustainable use is vital. Thus, this manuscript provides a review of the technological development of EVs/AVs, with a special focus on carbon footprints and the implementation of additive manufacturing using recycled materials. While EVs have a 12.13% increased carbon footprint compared to conventional vehicles, AVs with basic and advanced intelligence features have an increased carbon footprint of 41.43% and 99.65%, respectively. This article emphasizes that the integration of 3D-printed components has the potential to offset this impact with a substantial 60% reduction. As a result, custom-made solutions involving 3D printing are explored, leading to greater speed, customization, and cost-effectiveness for EVs/AVs. This article also lists the advantages and disadvantages of the existing legislation in Spain, the United Kingdom, and the western Balkans, demonstrating various approaches to promoting electric mobility and the development of autonomous vehicles. In Spain, initiatives like the MOVES program incentivize EV adoption, while the UK focuses on expanding the EV market and addressing concerns about EVs' quiet operation. In the western Balkans, the adoption of legislation lags behind, with limited incentives and infrastructure for EVs. To boost sales, legal mechanisms are necessary to reduce costs and improve accessibility, in addition to offering subsidies for the purchase of EVs. To this end, an analysis of the incentive measures proposed for the development and use of renewable power sources for the supply of energy for EVs/AVs is presented.

Keywords: additive manufacturing; carbon emissions; electric and autonomous vehicles; environmental protection; regulations.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding. Background research for this article benefited from the support of WISE-ACT (Wider Impacts and Scenario Evaluation of Autonomous & Connected Transport) COST Action CA16222.