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The difficulty of finding some of the raw materials, such as lithium and other battery components, and the limited autonomy of the models manufactured in Europe, in which sporty driving can condition up to 50% of the autonomy of electric cars are two of the problems that, according to the College of Industrial Engineers, make this type of vehicle do not have the necessary conditions to become more popular, at least in a period of about 10 years.
Current electric vehicle technology has not reached sufficient maturity to cHow to become the real replacement for the conventional vehicle of internal combustion engine, despite the fact that electricity is an important vector in reducing urban pollution, according to a report by the Transport Commission of the
Valladolid College of Industrial Engineers who presides José Ramón Perán.
Furthermore, the study highlights that the final destination of the unusable batteries is not yet known, which at the moment are stored by the manufacturers because an optimal recycling has not yet been found.
Regarding electric vehicles powered by fuel cell engines, fueled by hydrogen, the text indicates that they do not have theautonomy limitations nor of recharging time, but its technological development and commercialization are still long overdue, to which is added the high price of hydrogen.
Another very important limitation for the expansion of the electric car is the absence of an adequate infrastructure of electroline stations or gas stations for hydrogen. The document emphasizes that build a network of charging stations Not only does it involve an unaffordable cost at the moment, but it also raises problems related to the high power required for rapid discharge or the technical difficulties of gas stations.
However, the researchers acknowledge the appropriateness of the progressive installation of charging points in car parksBoth private and public, but remember that 85% of vehicles currently ‘sleep’ on the street.
The report of the College of Industrial Engineers estimates that within ten years a massive use of the electric car will not foreseeably occurBut, according to the consensus of the experts, the manufacturing and sales costs will be at least 25% higher than similar models of current conventional vehicles.
Likewise, 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, there will be non-polluting combustion vehicles «that will give the battle to the electric ones; and we will attend the battle of motorization with highly perfected natural gas in its different versions.
Climate change
Perán highlights that, 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 entire life cycle of the vehicle is taken into account, without forgetting the emission of polluting particles caused by the friction of the tires and the breaks”.
The expert points out that the electric is more efficient from the point of view of urban pollution and it 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 the Life Gystra project, funded by the European Commission, in which the real emissions of different vehicles in the Madrid metropolitan area were measured, the truly polluting ones in urban circuits are old vehicles or poorly maintained modern ones.
In the race to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, some manufacturers have also opted for the transformation of vintage cars, diesel or gasoline. Thus, thanks to current technologies, those vehicles now become “very low-polluting” and circulate again in compliance with current regulations.
An example of this is
Renault, which will recycle 10,000 vehicles a year at its Seville plant, with the aim of give a second life to used cars. “An initiative that also implies taking a giant step towards a circular economy in the automotive industry,” says Perán.
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