Across all avenues of life in America, the momentum of the sustainability movement is picking up steam. As public concern about the environment grows, advancements in technology are making the choice between safeguarding the planet and continuing our modern, fast-paced way of life a false one. It is possible to have both, and nowhere is that clearer than in the field of electric vehicle (EV) production, where rapid technical progress promises a radical new future on the road. Here are just a few of these advancements that are making headlines.

Advanced Battery Technology

The expense of batteries is one of the major factors that has always kept the cost of electric vehicles high relative to internal combustion. It's not uncommon to need to take out an auto loan to purchase one. This dynamic is on the cusp of changing, however. According to McKinsey & Company, between 2010 and 2017 average battery pack price decreased from $1,000/kWh to $227/kWh (far faster than initial predictions) and experts predict that the cost will continue to fall. This is due to rapid advancement in power storage methods that are rendering even lithium-ion obsolete. Graphene polymer, gold nanowire and other nanotech offshoots are helping to make the dream of inexpensive electric cars a reality.

Efficient Solar Power

According to EPA statistics, electric power generation constitutes a massive share of total atmospheric carbon pollution in America, making up almost a third of greenhouse gas emissions. That pollution doesn't just affect the air of course; it returns to us in the form of acid rain and choking smog as well. This is an issue when considering the overall sustainability of electric vehicles, because the power used to charge them has to come from somewhere. Thankfully, photovoltaics can be used in charging stations, and the cost of solar energy itself is plummeting, dropping to $0.06/kWh in 2017. Actual solar cars are still in the prototype stage as of 2020, but the technologies underlying the concept are becoming more and more sound, making it only a matter of time before whisper-quiet solar vehicles are on the market.

Materials Science Advancements

One aspect of automobile development that affects both the efficiency of a vehicle and the impact of its production on the ecosystem are the materials used in building it. A stumbling block for the popularity of electric vehicles is their limited range. Certainly the evolution of energy storage will be a major driving force behind eliminating this drawback, but materials advancements will help as well as the vehicles of the future will be made of materials with a greater tensile strength for a given mass. In addition, cutting-edge research in green materials is extending the lifetime of the things we use as well as changing the nature of the chemicals required to create them, thus cutting both the prevalence and toxicity of manufacturing byproducts.

New Computing Tools

Believe it or not, digital technology is becoming a force for evolution in the automotive world. Increases in both video resolution and connectivity may not seem relevant to the future of vehicle sustainability, but together they're essential to the development of self-driving cars which could manifest an increase in efficiency as artificial intelligence (AI) systems take over route planning. Don't forget that internal diagnostic systems will become more responsive too, which can identify small power inefficiency issues before they become truly wasteful.

The electric vehicle revolution is going to be a major boon for the environment. If you are still unfamiliar with these current innovations, check out online learning or watch YouTube videos. With cost decreasing and capability increasing due to the efforts of wildly inventive entrepreneurs, it will be fascinating to see what the future of electric vehicles holds.