Introduction: illustrating an ethically-charged scenario

Vidic 2:00

L16

INTRODUCTION: ILLUSTRATING AN ETHICALLY-CHARGED SCENARIO
As a mechanical engineer in the research and development department of the EZ Motors Corporation, it is my duty to apply my knowledge and skills to my work in order to advance the industry to best suit both the consumer and company while also making sure that the products along with the manufacturing processes have a neutral environmental impact. Within the past few years, EZ Motors has shifted its focus to putting “environmentally-friendly” automobiles on the market. Company reports have shown that as the worldwide search for energy-efficient technology continues, consumers are rapidly taking interest in electric and hybrid vehicles as opposed to traditional gasoline-powered cars. Therefore, to appeal to consumers and stay at the top of the market, my employer has assigned me to a research and development team of our electric vehicle production division. The most common approach to electric vehicles by car companies today is designing cars with electric batteries that must be charged often in order to operate. However, as a mechanical engineer, I believe that EZ Motors should be gearing towards a new method of energy for electric vehicles; a method that is even more environmentally-conscious than electric batteries. I have taken it upon myself to research and consider the benefits and drawbacks of two different methods of powering electric vehicles: electric batteries versus fuel cells. When I explained to my supervisor that I was researching multiple technologies, he strongly suggested that I limit my efforts to electric batteries. However, as my research on both electric batteries and fuel cells continues, I question if my employer’s wishes are really the best option to pursue from a sustainability standpoint.  My initial research seems to indicate that fuel cell-powered vehicles are much more sustainable and energy-efficient than electric battery vehicles.  As noted by W. Richard Bowen in Engineering Ethics: Outline of an Aspirational Approach, “In some instances, appropriate technology is available but is not being applied” [1]. Perhaps this is currently the case with fuel cells in electric vehicles; a case in which the ethical decisions of the engineers capable of such technologies may be questioned. The main issue with my employer, however, is that he is interested in the factor of cost.  Fuel cells are quite expensive to produce and provide infrastructure for, while electric batteries are less expensive and require infrastructure that can be implemented easily in consumers’ lives. I have also recently learned that my employer holds an interest in a company that manufactures electric vehicle charging stations. This company stands to gain business as more electric vehicles take the road, and is pursuing projects strictly focused on electric battery vehicles due to grant funding from the Department of Energy. I am now faced with an issue of my employer’s focus on monetary gain versus my responsibility as a mechanical engineer.  As an engineer, as stated in the Code of Ethics of the National Society of Professional Engineers, I am responsible for acting as a faithful agent of my employer [2]. As a mechanical engineer, I am also responsible, according to the Code of Ethics of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, for considering environmental impact and sustainable development in my work [3]. To develop a response to this situation, I plan to fully research each method of powering electric vehicles to have a clear sense of the positive and negative impacts each may have.  I am concerned about providing the highest quality, most environmentally responsible product to the public as a part of my professional duties as an engineer, but my employer’s wishes are also very important. Ideally, I will be able to find a way to implement the most sustainable and cost-effective method of powering electric vehicle while still acting in the best interest of my employer.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND THE IMPACT OF THEIR PRODUCTION COMPONENTS
As a mechanical engineer, one of my duties is to consider environmental impact and sustainable development. Therefore, a fundamental concern of mine is one of the leading issues in the environment today: the buildup of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation from sunlight and trap heat in earth’s atmosphere [4]. The most abundant greenhouse gas in the environment is carbon dioxide, which is produced mainly by the combustion of fossil fuels.  According to the US. Energy Information Administration, “[in the United States] during the past 20 years, about three-quarters of human-made carbon dioxide emissions were from burning fossil fuels”, as displayed in Figure 1 [4].  If the amount of fossil fuels being burned in the United States could be reduced, the resulting impact on the environment would be significant.

A closer look at these statistics reveals that vehicle emissions account for a substantial portion of these greenhouse gas emissions. According to the 2009 EPA Greenhouse Gas inventory, light-duty vehicles (cars and trucks) contributed 17.7% of all US greenhouse gas emissions [5]. Since such a large percentage of our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels, and vehicle exhaust accounts for a substantial portion of these emissions, the production of electric vehicles would be greatly beneficial to the environment.  For example, as 8,887 grams of carbon dioxide are emitted through the tailpipe of gasoline-powered vehicles, zero grams of carbon dioxide are emitted into the environment with the operation of electric vehicles [6].  Essentially, electric batteries that power most electric vehicles are high-voltage, and they are able to be totally discharged and recharged often (a process referred to as “deep cycling”) [7].  These batteries are built to deliver energy for long periods of time and are able to go through several deep cycles.  Although a much cleaner option than gasoline-powered vehicles, electric batteries still need to be recharged often and thus require energy to be consumed by the battery on a daily basis.  Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), on the other hand, operate not on rechargeable batteries, but on hydrogen fuel cells.  The hydrogen supply can be stored in tanks, or it can be extracted from other fuels through the use of a reformer [7].  In addition, FCEVs are estimated to provide greater potential for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions than battery electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles combined [5].  Since fuel cell vehicles do not require a constant recharging and use of energy in the way that electric battery-powered vehicles need, I believe they are truly the most sustainable method of producing electric cars that is currently feasible.

FIGURE 1 [4]

United States Greenhouse Emissions by Gas

ANALYZING BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF BOTH ELECTRIC BATTERIES AND HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS
In order to be confident in my beliefs and in my suggestions to my boss, the most important step to take in this ethically-charged scenario is to research all aspects of the topic in question. Therefore, since my employer encourages me to focus my research on electric batteries but I am personally interested in discovering more about the use of fuel cells in electric vehicles, it is imperative that I find out as much as I can about both methods of powering the vehicles. The conventional method of powering electric vehicles is through the use of rechargeable electric batteries. According to James Larminie and John Lowry, authors of Electric Vehicle Technology Explained (2^nd Edition), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) consist of an electric battery for energy storage, an electric motor, and a controller that completely replace the need for gasoline or other fossil fuels [8]. Electric batteries operate by storing direct-current voltage then releasing it when connected to a circuit [7]. In the battery, electrons move between positive and negative plates surrounded by electrolytes that react with metals used to construct the plates [7]. The reactions between the electrolytes and metals provide electrons for current flow until the circuit is opened, then recharging the battery reverses the chemical reaction, restoring the battery to the original state [7]. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, BEVs generally emit more carbon dioxide as they are driven for longer periods of time, as displayed by Figure 2 [9]. In addition, as batteries are added to electric vehicles, the mass of the car becomes greater, therefore generating more greenhouse gases per mile driven [9]. In fact, some long-range electric vehicles are heavier due to the mass of the battery, which in some cases can result in the production of more net greenhouse gases over a certain distance interval than a traditional gasoline car of the same size [9]. Alternatively, according to Jack Erjavec, author of Hybrid, Electric and Fuel-Cell Vehicles (2^nd Edition), “A fuel cell produces electricity through an electrochemical reaction that combines hydrogen and oxygen to form water” [9]. This reaction releases electrons, and the cells continue to produce electricity until the fuel is depleted [9]. There are no moving parts in fuel cells, so the driving range is almost entirely dependent on the amount of fuel in the cell. In comparison to gasoline-powered vehicles, FCEVs would immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 47% [9]. The distribution of greenhouse gas emissions between traditional gasoline-vehicles, various types of BEVs, and FCEVs is displayed in Figure 2, showing the relationship between distance range and carbon dioxide emissions. Figure 3 then shows the United States Department of Energy’s projected greenhouse gas pollution of different types of vehicles from the year 2000 to 2100. Note that it is projected that if fuel cells become widely used, they would be expected to cut greenhouse gases to 80% below the pollution in the year 1990, whereas the use of BEVs is expected to reduce greenhouse gases to 60% below the pollution in 1990. Although both BEVs and FCEVs would greatly reduce the greenhouse gas pollution, FCEVs produce the fewest greenhouse gases over a particular range (Figure 2), and FCEVs are also expected to reduce greenhouse gases exponentially over an extended period of time more than the use of any other vehicle (Figure 3).
FIGURE 2 [9]

Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Vehicle

FIGURE 3 [10]

Projected Greenhouse Gases for Different Alternative Vehicle Scenarios over the 21^st Century

In addition to the specifics of how electric batteries and fuel cells operate, there are other key factors that must be considered before making a decision with my scenario. Most importantly to my employer is the factor of cost between electric vehicles and fuel cell-powered vehicles. According to Stephen Eaves and James Eaves, authors of A Cost Comparison of Fuel-Cell and Battery Electric Vehicles, the mass-production cost of a lithium-ion battery propulsion system for BEVs is $16,125, while the mass-production cost of a fuel cell propulsion system is $23,033 [11]. Furthermore, not only the production cost of the batteries and fuel cells themselves can be considered; the cost of necessary infrastructure for BEVs and FCEVs are also important to consider. BEV owners would be able to purchase their own charging outlet fixture at a price of around $2100 [11]. FCEV owners, on the other hand, would not be able to own their own hydrogen fueling station; it is estimated that the net cost of building hydrogen refueling stations alone would be between $100 billion and $600 billion throughout the country, making FCEVs somewhat less accessible and convenient to FCEV owners [11]. Therefore, since both the cost of mass production and necessary infrastructure of electric batteries are less expensive than that of fuel cells, BEVs would be more affordable for both consumers and vehicle corporations such as EZ Motors.
CONCLUSION: STRIVING FOR AN IDEAL SOLUTION TO ETHICAL ISSUES

Now that the production aspects, the environmental impact, and the costs of production and infrastructure for both BEVs and FCEVs have been evaluated, I believe that I am well-informed and more able to make a decision about my situation concerning engineering ethics and my employer. Ethically speaking, it is my duty as an engineer to be a faithful agent of my employer and to consider environmental impact and sustainability of my projects. After doing research on the topics in question, however, I am not confident that I can be fully committed to these two canons of engineering responsibilities at the same time with this situation. From an environmental standpoint, my research shows that fuel cells are undoubtedly the best method of powering electric vehicles, as they are estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than any other vehicle, including BEVs. Referring back to Bowen’s Engineering Ethics: Outline of an Aspirational Approach, perhaps the ethical issue really is that superior technology is available, but not being used. However, from a financial standpoint, FCEVs are significantly more expensive than BEVs in aspects of both production components and necessary infrastructure. Combining the expensive cost of producing FCEVs with my employer’s interest in a company that produces BEV charging stations definitely proves that my employer is not at all interested in pursuing the idea of FCEVs. It seems as if I am caught between my two duties as a mechanical engineer; should I be more concerned with pleasing my employer or the welfare of the environment and innovating sustainable solutions to worldwide problems? My responsibility as a professional engineer is to be concerned with both, so a decision that pleases both canons can hopefully be reached.

However, if this ideal situation proves to be impossible, it is still noteworthy that both electric batteries and fuel cells are still exponentially cleaner and more energy-efficient than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.  In 2010, vehicles with gasoline internal combustion engines were estimated to produce 297 grams of greenhouse gases per kilometer driven, while BEVs and FCEVs were estimated to produce 222 and 169 grams/kilometer, respectively.  Therefore, I will strive for the absolute best method of powering electric vehicles, but EZ Motors is still on the right track by implementing electric vehicles in general.

In conclusion, as I continue to address this issue with my work, I plan on speaking to my employer about the environmental benefits of fuel cell electric vehicles. I will also bring the idea to the attention of my fellow engineers on the research and development team at EZ Motors. Therefore, I hope that through discussion, more research, and experiments and tests, the best situation for both the environment and the company can be attained. In Josep M. Basart and Montse Serra’s article, “Engineering Ethics Beyond Engineers’ Ethics”, the authors question our views of ethics in engineering [12]. Is it the technology engineers design and create that sparks discussions of ethical issues? Or rather, is it the engineers themselves that are not performing with the mindset that innovation and ethics act as one? In either case, it is imperative that all engineers are consistently mindful of technology and its potential impacts, as well as all realms of ethics that may be associated with their work. A balance of innovation and ethical mindfulness makes an engineer that truly strives for the positive advancement of all aspects of society.

REFERENCES
[1] W. Bowen, Richard. Engineering Ethics: Outline of an Aspirational Approach. Caswell, Swansea: Springer-Verlag London Limited. (Online book). http://rt4rf9qn2y.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:book&rft.genre=book&rft.title=Engineering+ethics&rft.au=W.+Richard+Bowen&rft.date=2008-12-02&rft.pub=Springer+Verlag&rft.isbn=9781848822238&rft.externalDocID=9781848822245¶mdict=en-US p. 5

[2] “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers”. National Society of Professional Engineers. (Online code of ethics). http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html

[3] “Code of Ethics of Engineers”. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. (Online code of ethics). http://files.asme.org/asmeorg/governance/3675.pdf

[4] “Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change, and Energy.” (2004). U.S. Energy Information Administration. (Online brochure). http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/1605/ggccebro/chapter1.html

[5] S. Thomas. (2012). “How green are electric vehicles?” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. (Online article). http://www.sciencedirect.com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0360319911028412f

[6] “Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle.” (2011). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Online fact sheet). http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo22265/420f11041.pdf p. 1-4

[7] J. Erjavec. (2013). Hybrid, Electric and Fuel-Cell Vehicles (2^nd Edition). Clifton Park, NY: Cengage Learning. (Online book). http://app.knovel.com/web/toc.v/cid:kpHEFCVE05 p. 58-61, 264-268

[8] J. Larminie, J. Lowry. (2012). Electric Vehicle Technology Explained (2^nd Edition). Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons. (Online book). http://app.knovel.com/hotlink/toc/id:kpEVTEE00E/electric-vehicle-technology p. 79-81, 253-258

[9] C.E. Thomas. (2010). “Fuel cell and battery electric vehicles compared”. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. (Online article). http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319909008696

[10] C.E. Thomas. (2010). “Fuel Cell and Battery Electric Vehicles Compared”. Department of Energy: Efficiency and Renewable Energy.. (Online journal). http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/education/pdfs/thomas_fcev_vs_battery_evs.pdf

[11] S. Eaves and J. Eaves. “A Cost Comparison of Fuel-Cell and Battery Electric Vehicles”. Arizona State University-East. (Online article). http://www.evnut.com/docs/bev_vs_fcv_compare_acp.pdf

[12] J. Basart and M. Serra. “Engineering Ethics Beyond Engineers’ Ethics”. (Online article). http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11948-011-9293-z

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For their helpful assistance in the composition of this ethics paper, I would like to give thanks to my Engineering Analysis professor Dr. Vidic for her continued support in all assignments in the Engineering 0011 course. I also thank my writing instructor Liberty Ferda for giving me helpful revision tips on Writing Assignment 2 that helped me aim to construct this paper with a more concise and detailed approach.

University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering

2013-10-29