The planned rapid transition to electric vehicles has major challenges. Schalk Cloete complies them into a list of ten, including: preserving our car-centric cities preserves its inefficiencies and societal costs; it works against much of the personal “behaviour change” we need; though BEVs (battery electric vehicles) are better in cities, when infrastructure costs are included they are less efficient than hybrids and modern ICEs for many driving … [Read more...]
Vehicle charge zones: too high, and driver detours can increase emissions
Vehicle congestion charge zones are a way of taxing drivers for the emissions they create. They have great potential to steer polluters towards shorter and/or fewer journeys, and towards cleaner fuels. But these schemes have received too little attention among analysts. “Cordon zones” are found in big cities like London, Stockholm, Milan and Singapore and the rules are kept very simple. Journey length is rarely, if ever, taken into account. … [Read more...]
Concern over auto job losses as Europe transitions to EVs
The state premier of Lower Saxony, home of Volkswagen, says he would not tolerate a large-scale reduction in staff at Germany’s largest carmaker. There is talk of axing 30,000 VW jobs nationwide, though messages have been mixed. Benjamin Wehrmann and Sören Amelang at Clean Energy Wire look at the latest news, then summarise the implications of the EV transition for the auto industry across Europe. Highlights include the observation that a Tesla … [Read more...]
Green hydrogen-based fuels pivotal in decarbonising Shipping by 2050
The international shipping sector’s emission levels are comparable to Germany’s. Like aviation and heavy transport, reaching net-zero will need renewable fuels – direct electrification won’t be sufficient. Existing fossil fuel engines allow for biofuel blends of up to 20% without any modifications, and 100% methanol engines are a proven technology. Making sufficient quantities of clean fuels - without consuming food crops – is the challenge. … [Read more...]
Clean transport in Europe: key trends to watch out for
T&E’s quarterly trends series gives a snapshot of the key developments that will define the future of clean transport in Europe. And what Europe does – given it wants to lead this field – should influence what happens worldwide. T&E’s Thomas Earl brings attention to four issues. First, proven progress in this major sector makes it a contender for a significant role in Europe’s new industrial strategy. It ranges from battery and … [Read more...]
New cooling system for inverters brings electric Heavy-Duty Trucks closer
39% of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector comes from heavy-duty trucks. Commercial batteries struggle to deliver enough power to make electrification feasible for heavy-duty applications. Rebecca Martineau at NREL explains how a working prototype, developed with the heavy machinery manufacturer John Deere, is now getting a 378% increase in power density. The key to the innovations rests on a state-of-the-art thermal management … [Read more...]
Giving car manufacturers e-fuel credits will slow the rise of EVs
Transport & Environment (T&E) explains why e-fuel credits should not be included in the EU’s CO2 standards for new cars. If they are, it would give carmakers the option to claim an ICE vehicle as low- or zero-emission. But carmakers have no control over what fuel their customers put in their cars, making the regulation impossible to monitor. That opens the door to double-counting emission reductions with other existing regulations (Fuel … [Read more...]
Can Aluminium-air batteries outperform Li-ion for EVs?
Aluminium-air (Al-air) batteries for cars are an innovative technology that automakers and policy-makers should take a close look at, say Helena Uhde and Veronika Spurná at ECECP. Although a battery, they behave more like an engine: the fuel is the aluminium which reacts with the air via an electrolyte to produce electric power. Al-air has big advantages over a lithium-ion battery, the favoured choice for EVs. It has a travel range similar to … [Read more...]
Electric Micromobility: how to cut emissions, create jobs and transform urban transport
What if e-bikes, electric scooters and electric skateboards were added to walking and cycling in our attempts to reduce emissions through behaviour change? It’s a promising solution for all those people who genuinely want to reduce their emissions but don’t want the extra exercise. Quoting from their report, Jennifer Dungs at EIT InnoEnergy looks at the gains to be made, along with a valuable reduction in city congestion. Micromobility is still … [Read more...]
EU: Slow-moving CO2 targets for cars put EV battery boom at risk
Europe’s battery manufacturers are positioning themselves to be global leaders. Their project pipeline will be enough to power a new European car fleet that is 75% battery-electric by 2030. That’s 38 European gigafactories by 2030 (fully funded, part-funded and proposed), €39.5 billion worth in investments, creating 44,000 direct factory jobs. But existing CO2 emissions cut targets imposed on car manufacturers – a leading driver of demand for … [Read more...]
Biden’s major report on critical minerals supply: domestic mining + processing, innovation, EVs, global allies + more
In June, The White House issued its 250-page report on the global critical minerals supply chain, and how the U.S. can ensure continued supply as well as build up its own mining and manufacturing base. It is the fullest picture so far of how the U.S. is evaluating mineral access and supply chain resilience, says Reed Blakemore at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center. Here he reviews the report, in particular the section on energy which … [Read more...]
Norway an EV role model? Their pathway is expensive and paid for with oil & gas exports
Norway is an EV leader thanks to a generous pot of tax incentives. Today, battery-electric cars make up more than half of all new car sales in Norway. Schalk Cloete takes a detailed look at what those incentives cost, and how many tonnes of CO2 they avoid. In short, Norway – a major oil and gas exporter - needs to sell over 100 barrels of oil (which emits 40 tonnes of CO2) to pay for the tax breaks it gives EVs to avoid one tonne of CO2. And … [Read more...]
EU’s new 15% emissions cut for EVs looks like 2% thanks to four “allowances”
EU regulations for reducing car emissions have been an important driver for getting European manufacturers to go electric and seek a leading position globally. But new rules will slow that progress, according to Transport & Environment (T&E). What look like rules that require a 15% reduction in COâ‚‚ emissions from new cars from 2025 can mean a drop of as little as 2%, thanks to four “allowances”. Heavier average car weight (and electric … [Read more...]
Aviation should be given target dates for zero-emissions. It’s working for cars and trucks
The French government’s decision to ban some short-haul flights if there is a rail alternative under two and a half hours is only symbolic, says Andrew Murphy at T&E. It would reduce French aviation emissions by only 0.8%. Expanded to rail journeys under five hours and it’s still only 4.5%. Long-haul flying is the much bigger problem, but the resulting emissions are outside of France’s current climate target. Instead of just talking about … [Read more...]
U.S. EV transition means major shake-up of car makers, hubs, jobs, dealerships, gas stations
General Motors (GM), in the past considered the measure of U.S. economic health, is retrenching to become an EV leader, writes Paddy Ryan at the Atlantic Council. CEO Mary Barra even wants people to think of GM as a tech company. Loss-making divisions have been shed and tech investments made. Rivals - from Tesla to pure start-ups - are forcing all car makers to face up to the electric future. But the disruption will go much further, explains … [Read more...]
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