The electric vehicle is just for everyday trips in the city: FALSE!
Today’s electric car can become the main vehicle of the household.
While the French travel an average of 29 kilometers every day and 80% of them travel less than 50 kilometers daily, electric models are excellent everyday vehicles. But not only that! Indeed, their autonomy is constantly evolving. Most of the vehicles on the road today offer between 350 and 400 kilometers of autonomy on average in real conditions of use and many models currently marketed are close to 500 km of autonomy, or even exceed it… Enough to largely cover the needs of daily life and also go away for the weekend.
Moreover, the electric vehicle is a particularly interesting choice for rural consumers who are the most penalized by the increase in environmental taxes, the desertification of gas stations and the absence of adapted public transportation. Charging in individual homes is very simple and facilitates the adoption of electric vehicles in rural areas.
You can’t easily “fill up” your electric vehicle: FALSE!
90% of recharging is done at home or at work and there are more than 30,000 recharging points in France open to the public.
9 out of 10 recharges are done at home or at the workplace, possibly on a simple plug! In the other cases, local authorities and the private sector continue to invest in charging networks. Today, there are more than 30,000 recharging points open to the public (compared to 11,000 “classic” service stations spread across the country). This figure makes France the fourth best equipped European country in terms of charging infrastructure. Even if there are disparities between territories, this represents an average of 1 charging point for 11 vehicles.
On the freeway, there are now more than 2,000 fast charging points (24 kW and above), the fastest of which can recover 80% of their autonomy in twenty to thirty minutes, the time it takes to take a break. This network is set to grow, as the French government has decided to invest 100,000 million euros to accelerate the rollout of fast charging, and several companies are installing very high-powered charging networks (up to 150 kW) throughout Europe to quickly recharge long-range models. The quality of service is also constantly improving.
The electric vehicle is too expensive: FALSE!
Thanks to the acquisition subsidies and the savings on use:
– When you buy
The ecological bonus (up to 7,000 euros today; up to 6,000 euros from July 1, 2021 – find out more about the new ecological bonus scale) and the conversion premium (PAC) make electric cars accessible at a price that is almost equivalent to or even lower than that of a similar internal combustion engine.
Today, it is already possible to acquire a new electric vehicle for as little as 90 euros per month, battery included, thanks to long-term rental formulas.
In 2020, under certain conditions, the amount of the conversion bonus was increased to allow the most modest households, or those without any other transport solution, to engage in the ecological transition. This positive result should therefore improve.
And the price of electric vehicles should fall. In fact, according to several studies, they could be competitive with their internal combustion counterparts without subsidies by 2024. Finally, battery manufacturing costs are expected to drop by 52% by 2030 compared to 2008.
– On fuel
About fuel, an electric vehicle costs between 2 and 3 euros per 100 kilometers (compared to 6.16 euros for a diesel model and 7.44 euros for a gasoline). The electric car is therefore much more economical to use than a thermal model, as the price of fossil fuels fluctuates continuously. And that’s without counting the savings made on maintenance, insurance, parking… It is generally considered that the fuel budget is divided by 3 to 4 with an electric model compared to a combustion model.
– In use
Indeed, many cities now offer daily assistance such as free parking hours that reduce the cost of parking.
If everyone switches to electric cars, new nuclear power plants will have to be built: FALSE!
Charging an electric vehicle at home requires the same power as a water heater.
Contrary to popular belief, the development of electric cars will not require new nuclear reactors. Today, considering the number of kilometers driven each day, recharging an electric vehicle at home represents the same power demand and consumption as a water heater. Thus, the energy efficiency of vehicles, the intelligent management of charging stations and user practices such as night-time charging will not require any increase in electricity production capacity, even with 15.6 million electrified vehicles expected by 2035.
At this horizon, their consumption is estimated at between 7 and 34 TWh. Even in the high trajectory, this represents a maximum of 7% of the annual energy production.
Finally, as we all already do, shifting the use of electrical appliances to off-peak hours and limiting their use during peak demand between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. helps to moderate power calls on the grid. We will do the same for electric car charging, for which smart charging is essential.
The electric vehicle accompanies the deployment of renewable energies and helps to balance the grid.
First, many charging networks now provide electricity from renewable sources.
Moreover, by controlling recharging, the electric vehicle can make it possible to use renewable energies when production is in surplus at certain times of the day, such as at night. It is therefore already helping to improve the economic model for renewable electricity.
In addition, the on-board battery of the vehicles will also be able to store energy and return it to the power grid at key times of the day in case of peak production or demand. Numerous tests are underway throughout Europe.
Finally, when batteries can no longer be used for mobility, they find a second life in the field of energy storage. They can be used as buffer storage for positive energy buildings or for self-consumption.
The electric vehicle therefore represents a fantastic opportunity to participate in the development of renewable energies, by offering a unique storage capacity for intermittent energies such as solar and wind power.
Electric vehicles emit electromagnetic waves: TRUE
But not more than other electrical objects while offering additional security.
Like all electrical objects, a rechargeable car emits electromagnetic waves.
In 2011, studies have accurately measured the waves emitted by electric and hybrid vehicles. It was found that compared to the recommended threshold, emissions at the feet, the most exposed part of the body as it is close to the engine and often the battery, are at 20% of the maximum tolerated level, and at only 2% if measured at the head.
All the sensitive elements of an electric car, such as the motor, the converter, the battery or even the on-board charger, are placed inside insulating boxes, especially to avoid these electromagnetic nuisances. The charging cable as well as the on-board charger comply with the standards on domestic electricity with a power that corresponds to that of a water heater, therefore without danger for humans. With a greater power linked to the use of a wallbox for example, the cables are reinforced, again to respect these standards.
There will not be enough rare earths for all electric cars: FALSE!
Alternatives to their use already exist.
There are 17 minerals that go by the name of “rare earths”. It is interesting to note that, despite this name, they are not particularly rare. They have been used since the 1960s in the manufacture of many everyday products such as LED bulbs, vacuum cleaners and computer screens.
Globally, 26% of rare earth production is used in thermal vehicles, to refine oil or to manufacture catalytic converters for diesel models.
In electric vehicles, rare earths are used in the manufacture of the casings and magnets used in traction motors, in which they can represent up to 30% of the components. However, they are not used in lithium-ion batteries. It should be noted that it is already possible to do without them. Several technologies have been developed by electric vehicle manufacturers to easily replace them.
The electric car is too dependent on cobalt: TRUE
But there are several solutions.
Cobalt extraction is a major geopolitical issue, since 50% of the world’s reserves are located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, there are many mines around the world, such as in Australia, Canada and Russia.
Europe also has significant potential, with more than 230 listed deposits, several of which are already in operation, such as in Finland.
The supply could become strained as early as 2025, with demand twice as high as production. It is therefore important to find alternatives today, by working in three areas: reducing or even eliminating cobalt content, as several manufacturers are already doing; making progress on replacement metals such as nickel, which is more abundant on Earth; and anticipating a battery recycling process.
And what do we do with the batteries? They will be non-recovered waste: FALSE!
The recycling sector will enable batteries to be integrated into the circular economy.
While the European Union has required the recycling of 50% of lithium battery components since 2006, the recycling industry is now capable of recycling more than 80%. Companies in the sector are preparing now to receive the first batteries from 2025. In addition, industry and research are now working on developing techniques to recycle them indefinitely, ensuring independence from producing countries and making the battery sector part of the circular economy. To achieve this, the right incentives need to be put in place ahead of this deadline.
The electric vehicle pollutes more than its thermal equivalent: FALSE!
The more an electric vehicle runs, the better its carbon footprint.
As far as CO2 emissions are concerned, they are concentrated during the manufacturing phase of the electric vehicle and the production of electricity. Unlike its internal combustion equivalent, it does not emit any CO2 during the use phase. In other words, the more an electric vehicle is driven, the better its carbon footprint compared to its internal combustion equivalent.
Moreover, according to Transport&Environment’s “well-to-wheel” analysis, even in the case of high-carbon electricity production, as in Poland, the electric vehicle emits 25% less CO2 than its internal combustion equivalent, which emits 120 gCO2/km on average.
In the end, over its entire lifespan, an electric car driven in France has an impact on the environment that is 2 to 3 times less than that of a combustion model. As the study by the Fondation pour la Nature et l’Homme and the European Climate Foundation, “The electric vehicle in France’s ecological transition”, points out, this positive balance sheet could be greatly improved once measures are put in place to ensure a second life for batteries in the storage of renewable energy and their recycling.
The electric vehicle also contributes to improving air quality because it emits neither nitrogen oxide (NOx) nor fine particles PM10 and PM2.5, unlike combustion models. Thanks to regenerative braking and low rolling resistance tires, the electric vehicle also significantly reduces the particles emitted by tires and brake pads.
In France, these particles and more generally air pollution are responsible for the premature death of 48,000 people each year and cost between 20 and 30 billion euros per year in health expenses, of which nearly one billion is directly borne by the health care system.
In conclusion
The electric vehicle is therefore an effective instrument in the fight against climate change and atmospheric pollution, as well as in the energy transition. This is an undeniably positive result that will only improve with the reuse of batteries and the development of renewable energies… in which the electric vehicle plays an active role.
Let’s not forget that the first latest-generation electric vehicle arrived in dealerships in 2010: the technology, still in its infancy, should see some great developments in the years to come!
