Why a long range is not a good idea on an electric car – Automobile Propre

According to Ademe, too large a battery makes the electric vehicle less attractive financially and ecologically. A few days before the opening of the Paris Motor Show, Ademe, the ecological transition agency, gave its “opinion on the electric vehicle”. For her, the electrification of the car fleet is an “essential lever” for decarbonizing transport. But Ademe reminds that the electric car is obviously not carbon neutral and must pay attention to its formula to have a more interesting pollution balance than a thermal model. Criterion number 1 is the size of the battery, which must be reasonable. Ademe thus recommends not to exceed 60 kWh. With fast charging, costs soar Below, “an electric car driving in France has a carbon impact two to three times lower than that of a similar thermal model”. Beyond that, the environmental interest will not be guaranteed. At issue: the natural resources required and the weight of the vehicle. The bigger the battery, the heavier the car, which will increase consumption. Ademe estimates that, compared to a diesel model, “the carbon debt is repaid after around 15,000 km” for an electric city car, while it will be after 100,000 km for a high-end electric SUV. Read also Data never before seen on the electric car in France A battery of up to 60 kWh also has an advantage on the financial side. Still according to Ademe’s analysis, a model with a battery of around 60 kWh will have, over its lifetime, a complete cost lower than that of a comparable thermal. Please note, however: this is valid in the event of recharging at home. In this case, the agency estimates the cost price of electricity at €10 to cover 300 km. With a thermal, it would be more like 30 €. The problem comes from fast charging: the bill would rise to 40 €! Ademe is also not at all in favor of fast charging, which poses concerns in terms of infrastructure and electricity demand. The agency points out that “recharging a 60 kWh battery in two minutes like refueling a thermal vehicle would represent a power demand of 1.8 MW of electricity, i.e. the equivalent of the average electrical power called simultaneously by 1500 hearths”. For long distances, take the train! In summary, Ademe therefore pleads for city or compact electric cars, which remain light thanks to a reasonable battery, even lighter by going to the essentials in terms of equipment, and which are recharged at home, at the right time of the day… that is to say the night! Electricity must therefore meet the expectations of those who need an electric car on a daily basis. With 60 kWh, a family model today has a range of around 450 km, which is more than enough to go to work during the week and make weekend getaways. And by improving efficiency, we can have more autonomy from 60 kWh, or stay at 450 km by reducing the size of the battery. The deployment of vehicles with long ranges, for 600 km or more, associated with ultra-fast charging stations “raises many questions: carbon impact, price of energy and vehicles not accessible to the majority of households, reinforcement of the electrical network…” And that would only correspond to occasional needs. The Ademe therefore invites us to rethink the use of the car. According to its formula, electric cannot replace thermal for all uses, it must be made “a brick among a broader and more diversified range of mobility services”. For long journeys, it refers to public transport, in particular the train.