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    Carbon materials for electric vehicle batteries

    Today, automotive electrification is on the way as one of the measures against global warming. And it is expected that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions would be significantly reduced with the widespread use of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV, PHEV), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), and battery electric vehicles (BEV). The carbon material Cataler offers for electric vehicles is a high performance material with the dual function of electricity storage and conduction, and the material's main strength lies in its control using the fine pore structure.

    Carbon materials for electric vehicle batteries

    Realizing a society of zero greenhouse gas emissions

    To realize a sustainable society, one of the most important social problems is "global climate change." Due to such climate change, we are now having the increasing number of abnormal weather conditions that used to occur with lower frequency. It is thought that global climate change can cause various negative impacts on the natural environment and human lives. Those impacts include rising temperature, increasing amount of precipitation, expansion of dry areas, frequent occurrence of destructive typhoons and developed low-pressure systems, rise in the sea level, and acidification of the sea.
    As a measure against global climate change, a global agreement was reached at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in November 2015, with the goal of "zero net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions (※), including carbon dioxide (CO2), to be achieved during the second half of the 21st century."

    ※GHG：GreenHouse Gas

    Greenhouse gases are gases that exist in the earth's atmosphere and can raise the temperature of the atmosphere and sea water by absorbing some of the infrared radiation emitted from the earth's surface. Other than carbon dioxide(CO2), there are various types of greenhouse gases. The Kyoto Protocol listed the following six greenhouse gases to be reduced: carbon dioxide (CO2) Methane(CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). And nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) was newly added to the list for the second compliance period of the Protocol starting from 2013.

    Please swipe to see the table.

    Greenhouse gases Earth
    Global warming coefficient※    		 Property Use/source
    CO2 Carbon dioxide 1 Primary greenhouse gas. Combustion of fossil fuels, etc
    CH4 Methane 25 Gaseous at normal temperature, methane is the principal component of natural gas. It has high combustibility. Rice cultivation, intestinal fermentation of livestock, landfilling of waste, etc
    N2O Nitrous oxide 298 Nitrous oxide is, among a number of nitrogen oxides, one of the most stable substances. It is not as harmful as other nitrogen oxides (for example, nitrogen dioxide). Fuel combustion industrial processes, etc
    HFCs Hydrofluorocarbons 1430 etc Hydrofluorocarbons are a type of chlorofluorocarbon that doesn't contain chlorine and doesn't cause the breakdown of the ozone layer. They are powerful greenhouse gases. Sprays, refrigerants for air conditioners and refrigerators, chemical manufacturing processes, building insulation materials, etc
    PFCs Perfluorocarbons 7390 etc Perfluorocarbons contain only carbon and fluorine. They are powerful greenhouse gases. Semiconductor manufacturing process, etc
    SF6 Sulfur hexafluoride 22800 A hexafluoride of sulfur, this is a powerful greenhouse gas. electrical insulator, etc
    NF3 Nitrogen trifluoride 17200 Nitrogen trifluoride is an inorganic compound that consists of nitrogen and fluorine. It is a powerful greenhouse gas. Semiconductor manufacturing process, etc

    ※Values during the second compliance period of the Kyoto Protocol
    Reference source ：the website of the Japan Center for Climate Change Actions

    GHG reduction target of each country

    In order to curb the progress of climate change, each country has set a target for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and has updated its reduction plan. However, these targets would never be achieved without great reforms implemented in many fields of technology. In the automobile industry, we are striving to establish and spread innovative technologies in the field of "Zero Emission Vehicle" (※) so that we can contribute to the reduction of GHG.

    ※Zero Emission Vehicle(ZEV)

    ゼロエミッション車：Zero Emission Vehicle(ZEV)

    Zero Emission Vehicle(ZEV)

    A Zero Emission Vehicle(ZEV) refers to a vehicle whose power source does not emit greenhouse gases and other substances which are harmful to the human health and environment. Those harmful substances include carbon dioxide (CO2) nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and particulate matter (PM).

    Since the total GHG emissions discharged from automobiles account for 20% of the overall emissions, it is an urgent matter to solve this problem by introducing stringent exhaust gas regulations. The State of California introduced a strict ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) requirement, and the state has been continuing to strengthen this requirement since. Now, many countries are enforcing their own exhaust gas regulations, including China that has introduced its NEV (New Energy Vehicle) requirement.

    *ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) regulation

    This regulation, first adopted in 1990, requires automakers that sell more than a certain number of vehicles in California to sell a given percentage of ZEVs. The Regulation is getting stricter every year. From 2018, the ZEV sales ratio became 16%, and the ZEV eligible vehicles are electric vehicles (BEV), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), and plug-in hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEV).
    As of November 2019, 10 states have introduced this regulation, including California, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, and Maryland. In addition, the UK and France in Europe, and India, have announced that by 2040 and 2030, respectively, their sales of new passenger cars and vans will be limited to ZEVs, and new sales of vehicles with ICEs (gasoline, diesel, and other internal combustion engines) will be banned.

    Reduction targets of various countries

    Swipe sideways to see the table.

    China 60-65% reduction in CO2 emissions per GDP by 2030 (compared to 2015)
    *Aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 2030, and become carbon-neutral by 2060
    EU 55% reduction by 2030 (compared to 1990)
    *Achieving carbon neutrality by 2050
    India Reduce CO2 emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030 (compared to 2005)
    *Achieve Net Zero(*) by 2070
    Japan 46% reduction by 2030 (compared to 2013)
    *Aiming to be carbon-neutral by 2050
    Russia Suppress to 60% by 2050 (compared to 2019)
    *Achieving carbon neutrality by 2060
    America 50-52% reduction by 2030 (compared to 2005)
    *Achieving carbon neutrality by 2050

    As of November 2021
    Source: Japan Center for Climate Change Actions website

    *Net Zero

    "Net zero" refers to "the reduction of greenhouse gas or carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to zero by subtracting their absorption and removal". Since it is practically difficult to completely reduce emissions to zero, it refers to reducing emissions to net zero, and is used almost in the same sense as the term Carbon-Neutral (CO2 Net Zero).
    Net Zero Greenhouse gases include not only (CO2) but also all emissions that affect the global environment, such as methane, and refers to the state where the total is zero after subtracting the amount of absorption by forests, etc. from the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

    Net Zero

    Electrification of automobiles is accelerating

    Countries around the world are stepping up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At "the Leaders' Climate Summit" on April 2021, Japan announced its greenhouse gas emission reduction target by 2030, aiming for a 46% reduction compared to fiscal 2013. The United States has announced a new target of 50-52% reduction by 2030 from 2005 levels. By 2030, the European Union (EU) aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels. In response to this trend, the automobile industry is focusing on improving fuel efficiency and electrifying automobiles. In particular, electrification is gaining increasing public interest as an element of the coined word "CASE" (*) that expresses the trend of next-generation vehicles.

    CASE is a word announced by Daimler (now Mercedes-Benz) in 2016.The term was coined by combining the initial letters of Connected (always connected to the Internet), Autonomous/Automated, Shared, and Electric, and represents a major theme in the automotive industry, which is said to undergo a major transformation once every 100 years.

    ※CASE

    • Connected① Connected ① Connected (connected /always connected to the Internet)
    • Autonomous② Autonomous ② Autonomous/Automated
    • Shared & Services③ Shared & Services ③ Shared
    • Electric④ Electric ④ Electric

    The term was coined by combining the initial letters of each word.
    It was first used in the medium- to long-term strategy presented by then Daimler (now Mercedes-Benz) CEO Dieter Zetsche at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. This keyword symbolizes the trends in the automotive industry, which is undergoing an era of change, and suggests the importance of mobility services involving different industries as well as changes in the hardware aspects of automobiles.

    ① Connected (connected /always connected to the Internet)
    ② Autonomous/Automated
    ③ Shared
    ④ Electric
    The term was coined by combining the initial letters of each word.
    It was first used in the medium- to long-term strategy presented by then Daimler (now Mercedes-Benz) CEO Dieter Zetsche at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. This keyword symbolizes the trends in the automotive industry, which is undergoing an era of change, and suggests the importance of mobility services involving different industries as well as changes in the hardware aspects of automobiles.

    • Connected① Connected
    • Autonomous② Autonomous
    • Shared & Services③ Shared & Services
    • Electric④ Electric

    Type of electric vehicle

    An electric vehicle used to mean an electric vehicle powered by a battery (BEV) charged using an external power source. But today, hybrid Electric vehicles (HEVs), Plug-in hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEVs) with additional external charging functions, and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) are also included in the electric vehicle category.

    Swipe sideways to see the diagram.

    Type of electric vehicle

    Hybrid vehicle

    A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a vehicle equipped with multiple different power sources, such as an engine and an electric motor. The engine can be stopped when it is not needed, even while driving, and the electric motor can assist the engine, resulting in low fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions. HEV charge the battery by generating electricity from the rotation of the tires during deceleration. Therefore, there is no need to connect to an external power source to charge.

    Electric vehicle

    An electric vehicle (BEV, Battery Electric Vehicle) is a vehicle that charges its on-board battery with an external power supply and drives an electric motor to drive.Since no gasoline or diesel fuel is used, no greenhouse gases or air pollutants are emitted from the vehicle. Although they are already in widespread use, extending the continuous driving range per charge and the development of recharging infrastructure are issues to be addressed.

    Plug-in hybrid vehicle

    A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is an HEV that can be charged using an external power supply.
    PHEV can run as a BEV that does not use gasoline for short-distance travel such as commuting and shopping. You can enjoy long-distance driving with a HEV that exceeds the mileage of a BEV.PHEV are being developed by automobile manufacturers as next-generation eco-friendly vehicles following HEV.

    Fuel cell electric vehicle

    A fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) is a vehicle that is equipped with a "fuel cell (= stack)", and runs on an electric motor. Fuel cells use hydrogen as a fuel, and extract electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction with oxygen. Unlike cars that run on fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel oil, FCEV are the ultimate eco-cars that do not emit carbon dioxide (CO2). In addition, hydrogen can be extracted from various substances, so it can be said to be an inexhaustible source of energy. In order to increase the convenience of FCEV, it is necessary to develop social infrastructure to utilize hydrogen.

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    Popularization of hybrid Electric vehicles
    Diversification of next-generation vehicles such as BEV and PHEV

    Automakers subject to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulations introduced in California and other states in the US are developing electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEV), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) to meet the regulations. Widely popular hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are no longer included in ZEVs, as they were no longer subject to ZEV regulations in 2018. Therefore, automakers are pushing forward with the introduction of BEVs and PHEVs into the market.

    Popularization of hybrid Electric vehicles Diversification of next-generation vehicles such as BEV and PHEV

    In Europe, new regulations will be introduced to limit the average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new vehicles sold from 2021 onwards to 95g/km or less.To meet the U.S. ZEV and European CO2 emissions regulations, as well as market needs, different types of electric vehicles will be introduced. Cataler plans to develop carbon materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIB) to be used in all electric vehicles (HEV, BEV, PHEV, FCEV), as well as carbon materials for new applications other than LIB, with a view to improving performance and cost performance.