Light electric vehicle: 44 percent less CO2 emissions than passenger cars
Created: 04/08/2022, 09:16
By: Simon Mones
Light electric vehicles could drastically reduce CO2 emissions in Germany.
Because: Almost half of the car journeys could be replaced in this way.
Cologne – Light electric vehicles such as the Electra Meccanica Solo or an e-bike from the Augsburg start-up Hopper Mobility may seem strange at first glance, but they want nothing less than to close the gap between cars and bicycles.
But they could also make a major contribution to reducing greenhouse gases, at least that is what a study by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) on behalf of the European interest group for light electric vehicles (Leva-EU) suggests, as reported by 24auto.de.
According to the study, half of the kilometers for which the car is used in Germany could also be covered with such a light electric vehicle.
That would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 44 percent compared to a car with a diesel or petrol engine.
This would save around 57 million tons of CO2 per year.
Light electric vehicle: 44 percent less CO2 emissions than passenger cars
According to a report by the industry magazine "Bike Europe", 76 percent of all car journeys could be made with light electric vehicles - whether e-bike, micro-electric car or scooter.
On average, 88 percent of greenhouse gas emissions would be avoided in this way.
A lot of CO2 can be saved with light vehicles like the ElectraMeccanica.
(Iconic image) © Gene Blevins/Imago
Accordingly, the researchers at the DLR Institutes for Vehicle Concepts and Transport Research have examined “the entire range” of light electric vehicles.
However, only vehicles that do not drive faster than 125 km/h were taken into account.
Light Electric Vehicle: Only 1.4 people per trip in the car
A closer look at German CO2 emissions shows the impact of this savings potential.
The transport sector accounts for around 20 percent here.
However, emissions have stagnated at a high level for years and are even increasing in some cases.
More than 60 percent of this is made up of cars – which are still the most commonly used means of transport.
At the same time, an average of only 1.4 people per trip in the car.
The routes are also often manageable: 80 percent of the trips are shorter than 20 kilometers.
Particularly alarming: Every day there are around 30 million journeys that are shorter than two or five kilometers. explained Laura Gebhardt, who evaluated mobility data for the study.
Light electric vehicle: only a niche topic "on the vehicle market, in science and on the political agenda"
"They continue to enable individual mobility, only in a much more sustainable way," emphasizes the DLR scientist.
In addition, the light vehicles could improve the quality of life in the city, since they require significantly less space when parking.
In addition, you are often in the fresh air, which has a health advantage, as "heise.de" reports.
In order to be able to use the potential shown in the study, however, the acceptance of light vehicles in the population must be increased.
The researchers are also taking politics to task here.
Incentives for the purchase and use - similar to the environmental bonus for electric cars - but also the development of an infrastructure and more comfortable and safe vehicle concepts are necessary.
However, light vehicles occupied "only a small niche in the vehicle market, in science and on the political agenda".
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