Dr. Abraheem Jawahir said sustainability of manufactured products can be an afterthought when it should be upfront in the design stage. The University of Kentucky mechanical engineering professor said development of batteries to power electric vehicles might fall in that category. “Any product that comes to market there is a never-ending competition to design and manufacture and put the product in the market very quickly. In doing so, there’s very little consideration being paid to the design stage. What will happen to this product at the end of life,” said Jawahir.
Jawahir noted currently it’s estimated that about 95% of electric vehicle batteries end up in the landfill after their usefulness is over. He added the environmental benefits of electric cars, along with the job creation for plants like those coming to Kentucky, are positives.
But Jawahir said more work is required to increase sustainability. The director of the Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing said it’s important to include this emphasis in the schooling of young people.
