Modes of transportation, especially those run on fuel, are a significant source of energy expenditure and emissions. Again, the “less and better” tenet applies. The transportation sector alone accounts for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. This is less than energy production, but more than agriculture and industrial processes.
electric mobility in the energy transition
The European Parliament points out that the road transport sector accounts for around one fifth of EU emissions, with private cars accounting for around 60% of these sectoral emissions.
Energy transition and electric vehicle development therefore seem to be closely linked if you look at the CO2 emissions released throughout the electric vehicle’s entire life cycle. Right from the start, the electric vehicle doesn’t release CO2 when being driven*. The origin of the electricity that it needs to run also plays an essential role in this positive impact. The more it comes from renewable sources, the more electric vehicles will turn out to be a smart choice. The European Environment Agency states that, using electricity solely from renewable energy sources, an electric vehicle releases four times less CO2 across its whole life cycle than a combustion-powered vehicle. What’s more, according to the FNH (foundation for nature and mankind), based on the average energy mix in France, an electric car already has a carbon balance that’s two to three times better than that of a combustion-engine car.
In parallel, electric vehicle technologies promote the incorporation of renewable energy sources into the electric mix. By helping energy supply and demand to coincide, smart charging and two-way charging (vehicle to grid) contribute to regulate and stabilize the network to make low-carbon, more affordable electricity available to everyone. Stationary energy battery storage systems using repurposed batteries from electric vehicles complete the picture by plugging gaps in the supply of renewable energy.
What remains is to reduce the impact of manufacturing; essential when it comes to developing the electric vehicle market. In particular, this concerns the extraction of raw materials, production method efficiency, battery evolutions and the development of recycling.
innovative mobility systems used as part of energy transition
The European Union has set itself the goal of reaching a 90% reduction in transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To get there, we’ll need to change our behavior too. Starting, notably with the transportation of people, by reducing mobility needs through promoting remote working for company employees, or even by designing cities that are more centralized and suited to “active” modes of transportation (walking, cycling) and public transportation. Shared mobility is another development angle. Services like carpooling and car sharing on a self-serve basis are in particular aimed at reducing traffic volume and optimizing the utilization rate of cars, especially in city centers. In the future, connected and self-driving electric vehicles will bring cities efficient solutions for improved traffic flow, freeing up some of the space taken up by cars and improving city-dwellers’ quality of life.
Energy transition is therefore accompanied by a change in energy policy but also by a change in our behaviour and lifestyles. It is a challenge, a vector of innovation and a source of opportunities. Mobilize, the new Renault Group brand, has understood this. By covering the entire ecosystem of electric and intelligent mobility, the solutions proposed by Mobilize voluntarily follow a path towards carbon neutrality.
*Neither atmospheric emissions of CO2 nor pollutants while driving (excluding wear parts).
Copyrights: inakiantonana, Mlenny, CarlFourie, LEMAL Jean-Brice, PLANIMONTEUR