The electric car is a very suitable vehicle for cities and metropolitan areas; in fact, its contamination in operation is only due to the metallic particles of the brake pads and those of the wear of the tires. It is therefore an important vector in reducing urban pollution. But nevertheless, your technology is not yet mature enough as to become the real substitute for the conventional vehicle with an internal combustion engine, as stated in the report prepared by the Transport Commission of the Official College of Engineers, chaired by José Ramón Perán, member of Valladolid, director of Cartif and emeritus professor of the University of Valladolid.
According to Professor Perán, the technical analysis offered by the report highlights the most important limitations of the electric car. Among them, for example, the difficulty finding some of the raw materials ?? such as lithium and other components of batteries ?? and its limited autonomy of the models manufactured in Europe, in which a sporty driving can condition up to 50% the already reduced nominal autonomy.
Also, still it is not known what will be the final destination of the unusable batteries, which are currently stored by the manufacturers. Optimal recycling has not yet been found.
As for the electric vehicles moved by fuel cells, powered by hydrogen, they do not have the limitations of autonomy or recharging time, but their technological development and commercialization are still long overdue. And to it the price of hydrogen is added, which is still very high.
A horizon of a decade
The report of the College of Industrial Engineers estimates that For ten years there will foreseeably be a massive use of the electric carEither it is powered by lithium batteries or hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
In any case, according to the consensus of the experts, the manufacturing and selling costs will be at least 25% higher on similar models of current conventional vehicles.
Now, adds Professor Perán, from the point of view of the fight against climate change, the electric car is as polluting as the current diesel pollutes the same or more in terms of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. if the full life cycle of the vehicle is taken into account. In other words, raw materials, such as lithium, are extracted from the mine to the recycling of each of the elements that make up a car. Not forgetting, the emission of polluting particles caused by the friction of the tires and the brakes. Electricity is more efficient from the point of view of urban pollutionIt is especially suitable for short trips and especially in metropolitan areas.
For its part, the diesel currently manufactured, which meets European environmental standards, offers very good performance on all types of journeys. According to the LIfe Gystra project, funded by the European Commission, in which the actual emissions of different vehicles in the Madrid metropolitan area were measured, the truly polluting ones in urban circuits are old or modern vehicles that are poorly maintained, due to negligence or due to picaresque.
Network of ‘electrolineras’
A very important limitation for the early expansion of the electric vehicle is the absence of an adequate infrastructure of ‘electrolineras’ or ‘gas stations’ for hydrogen.
According to the report of the Transport Commission of the College of Industrial Engineers, this is a particularly complex chapter, since building a network of recharging stations not only involves an unaffordable cost at present, but also raises problems related to the high power required. rapid discharge or technical difficulties of gas stations.
It is recognized, however, the suitability of the progressive installation of charging points in car parks, both private and public. Although the report recalls that 85% of vehicles currently ‘sleep’ on the street.
In four or five years we will have clean combustion vehicles that will fight the electric ones
Meanwhile, in addition, research continues to advance in combustion vehicles towards other alternatives such as synthetic fuels; among them, those from biomass.
In this sense, Perán is convinced that “within four or five years we will have non-polluting combustion vehicles that will fight the electric ones; and we will attend the battle of motorization with highly perfected natural gas in its different versions “.
Second life for the used
In addition, in the race to reduce CO2 emissions, some manufacturers have also opted for the transformation of old cars, diesel or gasoline. And so, thanks to current technologies, those vehicles now become “very low polluting” and return to circulate comfortably complying with current regulations.
An example of this, as explained by Professor Perán, is the case of Renault, which will recycle 10,000 vehicles a year at its Seville plant, with the aim of giving used cars a second life.
An initiative that also implies giving a giant step towards circular economy in the automotive industry, assures Perán.
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