A methodology to assess the sustainability of E-motors in electric vehicles

Road transport is the UK's largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 24% of total gas emissions in 2020. Therefore, a transition to more sustainable road transport is needed and electric vehicles are key to this transition. However, a truly sustainable solution must go beyond simply considering a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and considering the full circular economy of the electric vehicle, including electric vehicle systems, sub-systems and equipment. A further challenge is that the sustainability of these systems must be balanced with meeting performance criteria, including weight. A life cycle mapping is showcased to understand the end-of-life scenarios of subcomponents in the electric motor. The methodology created in this paper will include a ranking system based on the current design of Protean electric motor. It will also include a scope of improvement in subcomponents and an effort - impact score which is determined based on the possible solutions to identify opportunities for sustainable electric motor design.