Although it was a known fact until now that the source of the electricity charged in electric cars – the energy mix – fundamentally determines their environmentally friendly operation, no car manufacturer has mentioned this publicly so far as Volvo does now. The company also emphasized the responsibility of governments and players in the energy sector.
Photo: Stan Babur
Volvo owns the first fully electric car, which is XC40 Recharge Since its introduction Life Cycle Analytics (Life Cycle Assessment, LCA), which shows the total emissions of carbon dioxide of a particular type and its impact on the climate. The manufacturer’s latest electric car, C40 . charging Its LCA shows that calculated based on a “global average energy mix” (assuming fossil fuels above 50 percent), total vehicle emissions increase significantly, which in turn reduces their supposed benefits over internal combustion engine vehicles.
This is a particularly sore point because electric cars are known to have higher emissions during production, which is a 70 percent difference between the conventional XC40 and the electric C40. This is mainly due to increased production of carbon-intensive batteries and increased use of aluminium, which is also associated with higher emissions.
Volvo of course He does not speak against himself, but also offers a solution: it urges the use of 100% renewable energy sources and “green steel” to exploit the full potential of electric vehicles, the latter also trying to take the lead by working with qualified suppliers such as steel producer SSAB. The brand’s short-term goal is to reduce its suppliers’ production by 25 percent and its models by 40 percent over the full life cycle of its models within three years.
