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The need for a mean of transportation that was fast, capable, comfortable and affordable was present

since the modern and larger cities started to develop with the industrial revolution (Koren, 2010). A steam
powered automobile on 18th century was the first attempt to execute a concept that would eventually
make wagons obsolete, allowing owners to have more freedom on destinations, smaller travel times and
more comfort. However, for this new method of transportation to succeed the accessibility had to be
increased by a reduction of the price paid for an automobile. Henry Ford found in 1913 that by building a
platform, with clear division of labor and using an assembly line a company could increase their market
share and reduce their development and manufacturing costs (Alizon, 2009). This would mark the
transition of an era of hand crafted automobiles to a dedicated manufacturing line (DML) mentality.

In today’s modern world automobiles have also to be efficient and environmentally friendly. Today’s
electric cars developed a lot from the early prototypes from the 19th century and first practical models of
the 20th century. Range was always a problem, especially with the US road infrastructure that required an
autonomy larger than their past capability (30-40 miles) (Cramer, 2017), however, with the current
capabilities of lithium-ion batteries new automakers are able to offer a highly technological mass
production electric car, capable of high speeds, large range, cost efficient and eco-friendly (INL, 2011).
Some include also autonomous capabilities, helping commuters on large cities to very practically deal with
traffic on highways and enjoy the ride.

The only challenge that remains open on this technology to automakers, how can we also completely and
effectively recycle all batteries after their life cycle is completed? Current processes are very expensive
and present a small scale to what will for the volume of vehicles being sold currently, otherwise Lithium
supplies will exhaust (Kumar, 2011).

Alizon, F. (2009). Henry Ford and the Model T: lessons for product platforming and mass customization.
Design Studies, Volume 30, Issue 5, September 2009, Pages 588-605. Paris, France: Elsevier Ltd.

Cromer, G. et Al (2017). Automobile. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Accessed on August 20th, 2017.
https://www.britannica.com/technology/automobile

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) – Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (2011). Comparing Energy Costs per
Mile for Electric and Gasoline-Fueled Vehicles. INL/MIS-11-22490. Accessed on August 20th, 2017.
https://avt.inl.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/fsev/costs.pdf

Koren, Y. (2010). The global manufacturing revolution: Product-process-business integration and


reconfigurable systems. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kumar, A. (2011). The Lithium Battery Recycling Challenge. Waste Management World. Accessed on
August 20th, 2017. https://waste-management-world.com/a/1-the-lithium-battery-recycling-challenge

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