New study shows when electric cars are really climate-friendly

power charge is crucial
New study shows when electric cars are really climate-friendly

Unlike combustion engines, electric cars do not emit any CO2. However, their climate friendliness depends to a large extent on the type of electricity used. Because only charging with electricity from renewable energies makes the vehicle really climate-friendly.

To achieve this, EV drivers need to be mindful of the time of day they charge. A study commissioned by Nabu by the Business Informatics department of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology, which determined the main influencing factors for climate-friendly electric mobility, came to the conclusion that the charging time plays a decisive role. To do this, the researchers examined the situation in rural regions, because the potential here is great; the distances covered are greater than in the city.

According to the study published on Wednesday, the CO2 emissions emitted when charging the electric car over lunchtime at the workplace are on days with a lot of renewable solar and wind energy almost half compared to charging in the evening. In rural Germany, for example, charging at 12 p.m. at work instead of at 6 p.m. at home would save around three million tons of CO2 a year. The savings potential corresponds to more than one percent of the total emissions of the energy industry in Germany and it is about 500,000 tons of CO2 more than the entire domestic German air traffic last year.

In addition to the fluctuating proportions of renewable energies in the power grid at different times of the day, it should also be borne in mind that some employers use photovoltaic systems on the roof.

Another advantage of charging at work during lunchtime is that less energy- and resource-intensive buffer storage needs to be built. After all, as many large central storage systems as possible are more resource-efficient than many small ones. In addition, the charging infrastructure at the workplace is available to several electric vehicles at the same time, while at home every vehicle owner has to install their own photovoltaic system and their own storage system just for charging purposes. At the same time, however, the study draws attention to the fact that “from the perspective of energy supply, a solar roof on a single-family home still makes sense.”

Less CO2 charging in the afternoon

If you compare the climate-friendliness of charging at home at different times of the day, there are also differences here: At 4 p.m. with a medium proportion of renewable electricity sources in the grid, charging causes fewer CO2 emissions than at 6 p.m. After all, the proportion of renewable electricity in the grid is larger in the afternoon. According to the study, other significant influencing factors for climate-friendly charging are the charging time and the need to build up storage capacities. E-cars could contribute to grid stability if they have the ability to feed electricity back into the grid.

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Targeted expansion of the charging infrastructure for electric cars

Although dependence on the car as a whole must be reduced in order to reduce CO2 emissions, it can initially be assumed “that the car will continue to play a central role in mobility in rural regions for several years to come.”

Based on these findings, the study therefore recommends expanding the charging infrastructure at workplaces and supporting government funding programs. In addition, the charging options at the workplace in public administration or public buildings should be rolled out across the board.

Tax hurdles and securities in the billing of the charging current would also have to be removed. And a clear legal framework for bidirectional charging is required – for example through product standards for electric vehicles and plugs.

Source: Nabu

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