Green Engineering the Tesla Car

Team South AfricaDavid Kaye, Emily Curtiss, Christian Hahm

http://www.car-brand-names.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Tesla-Motors-symbol.png

What Makes a Tesla Roadster?

• “The Gas Tank” - An environmentally non-toxic Lithium-ion battery pack• recyclable to reuse approximately 90% of the materials in the battery cells

• can be charged from any wall plug and go from empty to full charge within 4 hours.

• “The Engine” - An electric motor• three times more efficient than a regular internal combustion engine

• “The Upkeep” - Does not require fluid, belt, and spark plug changes

• “The Body” - Carbon fiber body• 30% less mass than a regular steel body.

The Tesla Automobile (Roadster)

Gluckman, David. “Model S-pinoff: Tesla Planning Model X Crossover for Frankfurt Debut, Coupe and SUV to Follow.” Car and Driver. Feb. 3, 2011. Web. Nov. 3, 2015.

• The lithium-ion battery is nearly 50% lighter than a traditional hybrid battery

• The cooling system is so efficient that cells on opposite sides of the battery stay within a few degrees of one another

• The battery cells were designed with a heating and cooling element so the battery will operate in any condition.

The Tesla Automobile (Roadster)

"Battery." Roadster Technology. N.p., 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

PEM-green, Battery-blue, Electric Motor-under the PEM

http://www.onelectriccars.com/category/tesla-motors/tesla-roadster/page/2/

Current Materials Dilemma

• Graphite is a major component of electric car batteries, and the process of transforming it into a useable product requires large amounts of corrosive materials

• This process releases many pollutants into the atmosphere

• The Tesla battery cannot properly be re-evaluated

• There are alternate ways to acquire these materials to lessen their carbon footprint

http://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.agoracom.com/public/photos/images/5188/large/26848317.jpg

Ingram, Antony. “Tesla Gigafactory Seeks North American Raw Materials To Cut Pollution.” Green Car Reports. Apr. 20, 2014. Web. Nov. 3, 2015.

Issues with Current Materials• Incorporating graphite and

lithium into the battery is unclean and toxic to the environment

• Overseas shipping creates large amounts of emissions and pollution

http://www.soleilbank.com/Shipping%20Cargo%20Boat.jpg

http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/upgrading/case-examples/ce-PH-ton.html

Ingram, Antony. “Tesla Gigafactory Seeks North American Raw Materials To Cut Pollution.” Green Car Reports. Apr. 20, 2014. Web. Nov. 3, 2015.

Environmentally Friendly Alternatives

The materials used in the production of Tesla Automobiles may be sourced more locally

• Lithium can be sourced from Rockwood in Nevada or North Carolina

• Cobalt can be sourced from Formation Metals Inc. in Idaho

Companies stationed in Canada are also a viable option

• Avalon Rare Metals Inc. in Toronto can also provide lithium

• Tesla can source its energy from RB Energy, which will soon have a plant in Quebec

Ingram, Antony. “Tesla Gigafactory Seeks North American Raw Materials To Cut Pollution.” Green Car Reports. Apr. 20, 2014. Web. Nov. 3, 2015.

Issues with Alternatives

• Six new graphite mines would be needed to meet the demand that would occur from cutting foreign sources

• The cost to purchase these materials would increase drastically

• Outsourced materials purchased in high quantities are far less expensive than locally sourced materials http://blog.caranddriver.com/model-s-pinoff-tesla-planning-model-x-crossover-for-frankfurt-debut-coupe-and-

suv-to-follow/

Biello, David. “How Tesla Motors Builds One of the World's Safest Cars.” Scientific American. Sept. 23, 2013. Web. Nov. 3, 2015.

Sources

Gluckman, David. “Model S-pinoff: Tesla Planning Model X Crossover for

Frankfurt Debut, Coupe and SUV to Follow.” Car and Driver. Feb. 3, 2011. Web. Nov. 3, 2015.

"Battery." Roadster Technology. N.p., 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

Ingram, Antony. “Tesla Gigafactory Seeks North American Raw Materials To Cut

Pollution.” Green Car Reports. Apr. 20, 2014. Web. Nov. 3, 2015.

Biello, David. “How Tesla Motors Builds One of the World's Safest Cars.” Scientific

American. Sept. 23, 2013. Web. Nov. 3, 2015.