VULCAN ENERGY (VUL) Sustainability crucial to success
Sustainability is a crucial factor in the production of all Volkswagen models -- the ID.3 and the ID.4 EVs are produced with a neutral CO₂ balance and handed over to customers with a carbon-neutral footprint.
"All outsourced electricity delivered to the Zwickau factory, Europe's largest and most efficient electric car plant and the production location for both ID. models, is 100% green power. The plant also operates a highly-efficient block-type thermal power station with combined heat and power generation. Production of the battery cells, purchased externally by Volkswagen, is inevitably energy-intensive. For that reason, Volkswagen has stipulated that its cell suppliers must exclusively use green power in their manufacturing processes," the statement concluded.
Automakers are not just rushing to move to electric for the sake of humanity, they also face hefty fines linked to the carbon emissions of their fleets.
Pedailles said Vulcan's project can offset CO₂ potential penalties, a major boon if successful.
"Let's take VW as an example. They are targeting to produce 28 million EVs by 2028. If VW produces those EVs using lithium that has been processed using traditional routes, every single EV that the German automaker will produce will emit 675 kg of CO₂ just from the production lithium used in the battery cell. Multiply this by 28 million EVs and VW will have emitted more than 19 million mt of CO2 linked to just the lithium used in its cars," he said.
If VW was going to source a greener product, such as Vulcan's, they would actually generate minus 238 kg of CO₂ emissions per car or minus 7 million mt of CO₂ for their entire EV fleet," according to Pedailles.
"This could help VW, and other automakers, to reach their sustainability targets by offsetting CO₂ generated by the rest of their supply chain," he added.
