The eco-car is the future of motoring! The European Commission's forecasts are clear - within the next 30 years, one in four vehicles will be powered entirely by electricity or hybrid power. Electric cars are steadily gaining in popularity, but do they really have a real impact on environmental protection? What requirements does a vehicle have to meet to become green? Will new electric cars really monopolise the market?
Eco car - or what kind of car?
Above all, an environmentally friendly car must fulfil one condition: it must minimise the exhaust emissions. The pollution resulting from the combustion of diesel and petroleum is the greatest threat to our planet. It is the old diesel engines running on the streets that do the most damage to the atmosphere - 40% of nitrogen compound emissions come from them. For obvious reasons, it is the reduction in the use of non-renewable energy sources that is at the top of the list of changes on the road to green living. According to the researchers' assumptions, a complete switch to electrics would improve air quality (especially in summer) by a whole 100%!
What is 'eco' in an electric car? It is not only a reduction in the excretion of CO2 and other harmful substances. The second important point is minimal noise emissions. Noise pollution in the city is the norm, to which everyone is probably already accustomed. However, it should not be forgotten that noise pollution is a real problem - it contributes to 12 000 premature deaths! What will electric cars change in this regard? To put it simply, the driver of an electric car can hardly hear his car 'going', because an electric car has an almost silent engine.
In addition, thanks in part to its quieter operation, the eco car is much more efficient and expels less heat. Between 70% and 90% of the energy (depending on the model) supplied from the battery to the engine is converted into mechanical energy. Compared to only 40% converted by traditional motors, the result of electric cars is truly impressive. Thus, a small electric car can perform better than a powerful diesel. Electrics, thanks to their design, are more dynamic and have higher torque.
Eco electric car - is it a big money saver?
On this issue, unfortunately, there is probably no unanimous answer. On the one hand, eco-driving in an electric car is much more economical than in conventional cars - mainly through advanced energy recovery solutions. Furthermore, energy prices will probably remain cheaper than oil and diesel for a long time to come. On the other hand, looking at the prices of electric cars, it is impossible to say that buying such a vehicle is a small investment. In fact, at the moment, most of us are saving for an electric car than saving by driving one. In 2021, less than 19 000 electrics were registered in Poland. Access to electric cars is steadily increasing, but their price is still going to be a pretty big barrier to purchase for a long time to come. Fortunately, thanks to technological developments, you can expect the price of electrics to fall in the next few years.
Eco car vs. hybrid. Who is it best for?
A green car is not just about electric vehicles. If you want to reduce emissions, it is also worth considering a hybrid. Cars that combine the power of an internal combustion engine with the ecology of an electric car reduce exhaust emissions by at least 50%. Thus, thanks to recent technological innovations, the internal combustion engines used in hybrids are much more environmentally friendly than their earlier versions. Of course, we cannot speak of completely clean energy in the case of hybrids, but at the moment you will not find a car with higher electric efficiency.
Cleaner air through eco-cars, or responsibility for oneself and others
Are electric cars green? The answer to this question is not clear-cut. In principle, all elements of driving an electric car do not harm the environment. Electric cars can significantly reduce smog levels in any city and minimise noise pollution. However, environmental problems arise when it comes to recycling and manufacturing electric cars. To say that battery disposal is a nuisance is like saying nothing at all. The lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars and many other devices are virtually non-reusable.
According to the latest news, the number of electrics is expected to increase to more than 145 million over the next eight years. Battery companies are expected to work in concert with scientists finding new ways to recycle or reuse cells. Politicians in many countries, including France, which is at the forefront of putting ecology into practice, are in agreement - battery companies and car manufacturers must ensure that used batteries do not end up in landfill.
Why are eco cars our future?
Will all drivers soon own an eco-car? Electric cars in Poland, as we mentioned earlier, are not very popular. So where does the belief that electrics are the vehicles of the future come from? There are several answers. First of all, it is worth taking a look at how quickly cars in this category of motoring are developing. If we look at the BMW brand, which is hardly the first thing you think of when you hear electric car, we can see the direction being taken by most car manufacturers. The popular Beemer currently has as many as eight purely electric models in its range.
Of all of them, the BMW iX has the longest range, being able to travel more than 600 km on a single charge. The first electric-powered car from the Bavarian brand was produced back in 1912. The small electric car accelerated in 8 seconds to a compelling 50 km/h over a distance of no more than... 30 km! Thanks to continuous technical developments, more and more brands want to opt to develop electrics - these are the facts!
