By Bas Bonnier
When was the last time you used your car? Have you driven much less in the last few months, too?
While padlocks have been placed around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, many others have only ventured on 4 wheels for responsibilities such as weekly purchase. At the end of March 2020, road transport fell by 50%, according to the International Energy Agency.
Sales of new cars naturally suffered. What is intriguing is that this has basically affected traditional cars with internal combustion engine (ICE). According to BloombergNEF, the call for electric cars (EVs) remained internationally in the first quarter of 2020.
Germany exceeded the bill with an increase of 148%. The exceptions were China and Japan, where the call fell across the board.
Did the widely publicized drop in emissions during the closure and the option to keep CO2 levels low after the pandemic caused others to buy an electric vehicle as soon as you could imagine to “do their part”?
While electric cars are described as a key detail of any carbon-free future, electrification is unlikely to solve all of our problems.
After a slight overall decline in 2020, BloombergNEF’s 2020 electric vehicle outlook expects electric cars to grow again, and hybrid and battery electric cars to reach 58% of total sales by 2040.
Price parity between electric vehicles and ICs is expected by the middle of this decade. This is due to lower battery prices and automakers modifying their operating processes and models to make electric cars more sustainable and cost-effective due to the benefits of scale. Increasing the diversity of electric cars will increase visitor acceptance, as will the expansion of public fuel systems.
But while electric cars are described as a key detail of any zero-carbon future, electrification probably wouldn’t solve all of our problems. Electric cars would likely be transforming vehicle production and reducing CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, but they still have an environmental footprint. They simply move the power generation from the car to the factory.
Technology will go so far
Let’s be clear: there are no zero-carbon cars, only low-carbon cars. Even the solar panels of electric cars are not 100 percent clean, they are only cleaner.
This is basically due to the CO2 generated in its production, the collateral emissions related to its continued use and, ultimately, what happens to cars at the end of their life.
It is a must have of brands on biodegradable or recyclable fabrics and sustainable production methods.
For example, platform approaches (the same chassis in other models) can help minimize waste. New technique optimization techniques, such as gear grinding, will make more efficient use and reduce the wear and tear of production tools.
But in addition to reducing emissions in the production process, automakers will also need to take a look at the energy consumption of cars to pave the way for cleaner transportation.
On the one hand, this can be achieved by cutting off part of the auxiliary power input, for example, by optimizing purposes such as heating and cooling. For example, heat pumps absorb heat from the vehicle’s outside air to heat the interior, consuming much less energy than electric radiators.
But even that’s just a small component of the equation. The search for technical answers is sufficient.
Behaviour is possible
Another primary care for him is how to replace our behavior as car buyers so that more of us opt for smaller vehicles.
In the United States, SUVs accounted for nearly all sales in 2019. In Europe, they increased to 37% during the same period.
Perhaps the time has come to make a lasting replacement for behavior by encouraging car owners to use lightweight, low-speed models that consume less energy.
The power needed to move a larger vehicle, whether gasoline, diesel or electric power, is a multiple of the power a small vehicle needs. Therefore, a small car will be less polluting than a heavy, electric or other SUV.
By reducing weight, speed and acceleration, you can reduce a car’s energy consumption.
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted what a dramatic positive impact behavioral change can have on the environment: emissions dropped by 5 percent in the first quarter of 2020 because of lockdowns around the globe.
For many, adding politicians and industrialists, the exit from the crisis is perceived as an exclusive opportunity to “rebuild better.” This includes strengthening the fight against climate change to prevent emissions from returning to their previous levels.
Taking advantage of the merits of this momentum, it is possibly time to make a lasting replacement for behavior by encouraging car owners to use lightweight, low-speed models that consume less energy, on the merits of our planet.
Perhaps some of our daily errands can also be done on foot, by motorcycle or by public transport, than by car.
While peer awareness and tension will be important, immediate implementation of such a behavioral replacement will require policies for cleaner transportation options.
This has already contributed to significant relief in maritime transport emissions.
The transition to cleaner, more electric cars has benefited from tax and deterrent incentives, as well as rebates; the same measures can be followed to publicize more environmentally friendly transport options. Germany has been a forerunner and has recently increased taxes on high-emissions cars.
Focusing on excessive emissions and changing our current ICE style from ICE to electric is a first step in reducing the effect of transportation on the environment. Society, policymakers and the automotive industry itself will want to explore the next steps that can be considered to further reduce overall emissions from the non-public transport sector.
About the Author
Bas Bonnier is general manager of turbocharger operations at Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine Europe (MTEE), at Almere Stad Aera in the Netherlands.
A leading commercial company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group (US$40 billion in annual sales) is locating new and more sustainable tactics to force cities, improve …
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