A systematic study involving patent analysis and theoretical modeling of eco-friendly technologies for electric vehicles and power batteries to ease carbon emission from the transportation industry

Abstract

Using natural and recycled materials in the manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs) and power batteries (PBs) offers several environmental, economic, and technical compelling advantages. Recently, extensive study has been dedicated on the manufacturing of EVs and their power batteries to comprehensively address these advantages. This research analyzes 12,202 scientific patents from 1970 to 2021, evaluating eco-friendly materials for EVs and power batteries. The study identifies current status and gaps in research, mapping collaborations and networks, assessing core technologies, classification of innovative materials, future research directions; hence environmental and economic implications. To assess current development and forecast future technologies, hybrid autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) time series model combined with an advanced machine learning logistic regression algorithm were employed. Patents analyses results unveil noteworthy insights: Dynamic analysis demonstrates a growing interest in eco-friendly EVs and PBs manufacturing from countries such as China (PF2/PF1 = 0.406), U.S.A (PF2/PF1 = 0.468), Germany (PF2/PF1 = 0.465), and Japan (PF2/PF1 = 0.427). Key companies including TOSHIBA, BYD, TOYOTA, and TESLA are leading the way in technology transfer related to the manufacturing of eco-friendly EVs and PBs. Latest technology update reveals that, synthetic “SofTex” leather has 85 % less CO2 emissions than genuine leather during the processing, recycled aluminum production emits 97 % less CO2 than new production. Ford’s aim is to reduce its carbon footprint by utilizing 1.2 billion plastic bottles from landfills waste per year for making vehicle parts, resulting in a noteworthy 50–60 % weight reduction and a 37 % decrease in CO2 emissions in new vehicles compared to traditional counterparts. S-curve analysis further highlights a remarkable surge in patent filings for EVs and PBs since 2011. Notably, the patent CN-101013763-A holds significant influence in driving innovation route and utilization of eco-friendly materials such as bio-paint, bamboo, recycled plastic, and advanced steel in the manufacturing of EVs and PBs. In the predictable future, ongoing research will pinpoint opportunities for advancing technology to lead carbon reduction and sustainability in the EV industry.