Are EVs the only surefire solution for Europe to drastically reduce transport emissions? Authors and partners of the latest report “Green transport. Current state and prospects” raises serious doubts.
Changing the transport model will be a key challenge for Poland in the coming years. due to the policy of the European Union and investments of fuel and automobile companies. The latest report is entitled “Green transport. Current state and prospects”, prepared by the Polish Organization of Petroleum Industry and Trade in cooperation with industry organizations related to the transport sector. The report presents, for example. trends related to the “greening of transport” in Poland and in the world, available technologies and solutions are discussed, the costs and problems facing the economy are indicated. During the presentation of the report at the PAP press center, experts discussed the future of the European automotive and transport industry.
As we read in an extensive study by the Samara Automotive Market Research Institute, the authors of the report pointed out that green transport was originally an environmentalist idea that has become a political agenda, especially in the European Union. However, the automotive industry does not have a unified position on this issue - the concerns that are better prepared for the electrification of the proposal accept the scenario of a complete ban on the registration of combustion vehicles in the EU from 2035 as a path leading to decarbonization, but there are many objections indicating that the proposed changes are too rigid and the adaptation period is too short. At the same time, there will be voices that electromobility as an alternative to fossil fuels should not be the only right way to radically reduce emissions of harmful substances (including CO2) into the atmosphere. – Although climate change is driving the development of green technologies in transport, there are different opinions on how and when the ambitious goals can be achieved – acknowledged Michal Vekiera, Executive Director of the Polish Association of the Automotive Industry, one of the report’s partners.
There is an alternative
As we read, as noted by the authors and study partners, in addition to electromobility, there are a number of technologies that can replace fossil fuels with more environmentally friendly solutions, such as biofuels, fuel cells using the so-called. green hydrogen or biogas. - There is a technology race in the world, and it is not at all clear what technologies we will use in the future - this idea underlies the analysis of POPIHN and its partners.
Tomasz Benben, Managing Director of the Association of Distributors and Manufacturers of Automobile Parts (SDCM), emphasized in this context that due to the huge costs of transforming the automotive market, it is important that the changes do not affect the poorest part of society or lead to the exclusion of communication. – It is not said that green transport is only electric vehicles. In Poland, we must look for and focus on solutions that take into account the specifics of our country and make the most of our resources. An example is the increase in the share of modern biofuels in the fuel mix, which will also benefit Polish agriculture - said Tomasz Benben. According to him, the “greening of transport” will also be impossible without reconstruction, and in fact a gigantic expansion of the energy system towards increasing the share of energy from renewable sources. Instead of currently imported fossil fuel energy, low and zero emission vehicles will be powered by RES energy produced in Poland.
The more cars, the worse.
Grzegorz Brycki, author of the Bridge report, pointed to the limitations of electromobility. related to … the weight of the battery. And if for a passenger car an estimate of 1.2 tons, in his opinion, is still acceptable, then there are problems with buses (3.5 tons) and especially truckers (13 tons). However, it is completely surreal (with current technology) to use electric motors in aircraft (the weight of the battery, according to the authors of the report, is 2000 tons) or ships (the battery would have to be 375,400 tons (!) , which would provide the current power received from diesel fuel ).
Still too expensive
During the discussion accompanying the presentation of the report, Maciej Wronski, President of the Association of Employers “Transport and Logistics of Poland”, drew attention to the costs of transforming electromobility into transport. According to him, if today the purchase of a truck for international transport costs 100,000 euros, then the same electric vehicle costs four times more. Problems also arise from too long truck loading times, which means too many vehicles are out of service and not profitable. To compensate for this, companies would have to buy significantly more vehicles, which in turn would lead to a sharp increase in the price of services to potential customers. And one more thing. If all cars were to be charged at the same time at one of the large truck stops in Europe, this would mean an energy requirement comparable to that of an average city.
Director Benben also pointed out the serious social threats associated with the transition to electric mobility. – The transformation will result in the loss of 500-600,000 jobs in the automotive industry. For example, a company that currently specializes in mufflers has no chance of becoming a battery manufacturer because the costs will exceed it. He will not have access to the right technology, know-how or raw materials. In turn, workers who do not lose their jobs will need costly retraining. Unfortunately, if today the prices for electricity and gas increase several times, then there is no way to raise money for changing the profile of activity, which will be necessary in ten years - director The drum raised. – These are restrictions that we don’t even dream of, so it would be important to help the Polish state or European legislators for companies that cannot cope with the electromobility revolution on their own – noted the director of SDCM.
Changes yes, but smart
As Leszek Wywala, President and CEO of POPIHN, summed up the discussion around green transformation, although everyone supports changes to reduce pollutant emissions in transport, there are many ways to achieve this goal. “The important thing is that we maintain technological neutrality, and do not force changes with regulatory conditions for which we are not ready today. The entire EU economy is at a very dangerous turning point, and the question is whether we will go off the rails. Therefore, it is important to maintain dialogue at the national and EU level so that we can be competitive with the rest of the world. said President Wiwala.
Source: Wprost
