Last month, we asked whether the increasing political pressure on the IC engine is justified? Perhaps, on an engine-specific website, we should have guessed the result in advance, but I don’t think we could have predicted the one-sided result of the poll.
77% of our readership believe that the automotive industry is being used as the scapegoat yet again, by governments. With such a strong push for fully-electric replacements across Europe, it would appear that the decisions for future mobility have already been made. However, with the majority of Europe having its electricity supplied from coal-fired powerstations – and the untold effects of mining the materials for li-ion batteries – is the EV actually any ‘cleaner’ in its execution?
In addition to this, as mentioned in the latest issue of Engine + Powertrain Technology International magazine; the largest 15 ships in the world produce more ‘pollution’ than all of the cars in the world. 15. With such a skewed focus on the automotive industry; an industry that has refined its product to exceptional lengths over the years, jumping through the multiple, challenging hoops that lawmakers present, it is fair to say that the industry is unfairly targeted. And in hindsight, perhaps, the 77% turn out should be higher.
Whilst, I think, it is fair to assume that all engineers strive for increased efficiency in their work, something needs to be done at a regulatory level by all manufacturers – be it working closer with those that make the decisions, or educating the wider public to the levels of engineering prowess occurring on a daily basis.
The IC is at a dangerous cross roads in its history; continuing directly down its current path will lead it quietly down a secluded cul-de-sac toward a cemetery; left and right represent opportunities that can and will sustain the IC until a truly viable alternative mobility format is produced. Will the correct path be taken? Time will only tell…