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Sustainability in power plants for electric cars,
With the increasing interest of people in electric cars and their desire to use them on a daily basis,
As an alternative to conventional fuel cars, many questions have arisen about the mechanism of their energy consumption.
And if it is actually better for the environment and does not pose a danger to the outside air in general.
But in fact, the answer is still unknown; Experts continue to debate whether electric cars that require continuous battery manufacturing,
Better than those that consume large amounts of gas and fuel on a daily basis.
Plus, governments and automakers around the world are promoting electric cars.
As an essential technology to reduce oil use and combat climate change and global warming.
General Motors, for example, has indicated that it aims to stop selling new gasoline-powered cars and light trucks by 2035,
and to replace them with battery-powered models; Volvo also said it would move faster,
It will offer an all-electric lineup by 2030. (Tabuchi and Plumer, 2021).
Sustainability in power plants for electric cars
While experts broadly agree that plug-in vehicles are a more climate-friendly option than conventional vehicles,
They can still have their own environmental impacts, depending on how they are shipped and manufactured.
First of all, we all know the main importance of electric cars,
It is a contribution towards improving air quality, congested countries and cities, and significantly reducing air pollution.
This is due to the lack of an exhaust pipe, which is the main factor in the production of harmful carbon dioxide emissions while driving.
In other words, electric cars help increase the cleanliness and cleanliness of the air on the roads and streets, making crowded cities a safe place for pedestrians and cyclists.
Over the course of a year, just one electric car by itself can save an average of 1.5 million grams of carbon dioxide; This is equivalent to four round trip flights from London to Barcelona (EDF Energy, 2021).
It is no wonder that most countries around the world aim to increase the number of electric car users on the roads at the present time.
Including the Arab and Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain.
In Qatar, for example, after several years of using electric cars in the capital of Doha,
The State of Qatar has begun work to achieve a strategic goal that contributes to the country’s commitment to convert 25% of public transport buses to electric buses during 2022.
Qatar also aims to convert about 3:5% of the total number of cars located throughout the country to electric and environmentally friendly cars by next year 2022 (Al Khaleej Online, 2021).
The UK has set a target of banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040 (EDF Energy, 2021).
Moreover, electric vehicles can also help reduce noise,
Especially in cities where speeds are generally low. Since electric cars are quieter than conventional cars,
Driving electric cars creates a more peaceful environment for all of us.
Based on the foregoing, many are also wondering about the importance of producing the green electricity needed to operate an electric car.
According to the results of research by the European Energy Agency, even with electricity generation,
The carbon emissions of an electric car are about 17-30% lower than driving a conventional car that runs on gasoline or diesel.
Emissions from electricity generation are also greatly improved when low carbon electricity is used (EDF Energy, 2021).
All this indicates that electric vehicles have a major role in reducing transportation emissions and being a major factor in cleaning the air we breathe.
On the other hand, climate change poses a threat to most life forms on this planet;
Including, in particular, human life.
It is impossible to deny the dimensions of what we are fighting on this planet due to global warming and climate change from the loss of sea ice,
An increase in sea level could lead to natural disasters such as hurricanes, droughts or extreme heat waves, and the outbreak of massive floods and other events.
And as scientists and specialists discovered while trying to search for the main causes of climate change to reduce its consequences,
Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and atmospheric air are a major factor in changing the atmosphere.
leaving the planet more vulnerable to climate change (Gonsalves, 2018).
In addition to the IPCC reference,
Noting that of the 49 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent released into the atmosphere in 2010,
14% was released by transport vehicles (Gonsalves, 2018).
With cars accounting for 72% of CO2 emissions in this sector (followed by aircraft at 10%),
The electric car market is growing and appears to be a good solution to combat climate change and global warming in the future (Swissinfo, 2019).
As for energy production, the battery-powered electric vehicle itself does not emit or generate any carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
But it is some power plants and electricity generation used to charge these batteries that release these emissions (Bello, 2017).
Despite this, many experts are working on developing solutions to make electric cars more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Despite all this, electric cars are still an excellent option.
(and may now be the ideal solution) to reduce or eliminate the use of oil and gasoline in transportation.
This is not that cars
Electricity has the potential to improve the environment around us and to some extent contribute to combating climate change and global warming.
It is worth noting that the power plants used for electric cars,
It contains many coal-fired warehouses;
Which is the largest and most dangerous single source of pollution by greenhouse gases in the United States,
It emits about 2 billion metric tons of harmful carbon dioxide annually (Bello, 2017).
Which means that any increase in the use of electric cars,
equals an increase in the demand for electricity from these stations;
Leading to an increase in harmful and polluting emissions to the environment.
This does not necessarily mean that power stations pollute the environment completely.
If countries imposed the necessary and strict provisions that would reduce pollution or offer other solutions for energy generation, such as the use of solar energy.
But if the situation continues as it is, it could lead to serious disasters for humanity.
By amplifying the range of smog and acid rain,
The lung-damaging soot and other diseases caused by burning fossil fuels,
Which may constitute one of the main factors that endanger the environment and humanity as a whole.
On the other hand, we can still achieve sustainability in electric vehicle power plants,
Just as the United States was able to find the fundamental solution by replacing the use of coal in the production of the largest proportion of electricity,
to the use of cleaner natural gas (Bello, 2017).
As a result, this solution enables us to reduce the rate of carbon dioxide production,
Making electric cars cleaner and safer for the environment.
That is, we can conclude from this experience that electric cars are environmentally friendly as much as the cleanliness of the electricity they charge at power stations.
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The following list includes several effective alternatives to fossil fuels (other than electric batteries),
Which will undoubtedly help in developing sustainability in electric vehicle power plants (Future Observatory, 2020) (My Curriculum, 2018):
- Hydrogen cells.
- Biofuels or plant fuels.
- Wind energy.
- Water energy.
- Nuclear energy.
- Solar energy.
- Geothermal energy.
That is,
electric cars can still become a leader in the future once a modern infrastructure emerges,
In addition to generating the required electric power in more sustainable ways in dedicated power stations.
Data issued by global car companies also indicated that the world will witness unprecedented competition before.
In the next few months, in the field of electric car production in general (Future Observatory, 2020);
As these companies are trying to keep pace with increasing public and global awareness that encourages people to confront climate change,
And reduce the environmental pollution damage caused by fossil fuels used in various means of transportation around the world today.
Finally, we must remember that electric cars continue to revolutionize the field of cars all over the world.
Especially nowadays with the spread of technology and technical works,
Which works to reduce environmental pollution in all aspects, including air pollution.
In addition, the issue of the sustainability of power plants for this type of car is still on the minds of many customers and users,
Especially companies that manufacture and sell cars.
Many people in this current generation are trying to search for alternatives that support sustainability in various fields,
Including the automotive field; Especially electric cars,
whose sustainability still needs rigorous and certain proof.
Despite the booming future of electric cars,
However, the environmental impact resulting from traditional cars will not disappear,
with their presence, but will be transferred to the coal plants that operate them.
In the current state of the global energy grid,
That is, it is possible that electric vehicles will lead the future of alternative cars to fossil fuel vehicles, but they certainly will not be the only solution.
In addition to the environmental goals, many international companies are seeking to try to make the most of the current era,
the desire of people to preserve the environment, and thus expand the audience that car companies can target,
work towards it by adding and developing electric cars to the list of types produced in each company,
And compete with other companies with electric cars with international specifications and sustainable power plants.
references
EDF Energy. (2021). The benefits of electric cars on the environment (translator). Retrieved from https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/energywise/electric-cars-and-environment
Hiroko Tabuchi, and Brad Plumer. (March 2, 2021). How green are electric vehicles? (Translator). Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.anytimes.com/2021/03/02/climate/electric-vehicles-environment.html
Swissinfo. (December 24, 2019). Swiss technology to reduce CO2 emissions by 90%. Retrieved from Swissinfo: https://cutt.ly/PnDdbej
Gulf Online. (March 13, 2021). Electric cars in the Gulf: an investment market and challenges of expansion. Retrieved from Al Khaleej Online: Arabian Gulf News: http://khaleej.online/ZeV7QZ
Andrei Gonsalves. (September 25, 2018). Are electric cars really greener? (Translator). Retrieved from Youmatter: https://youmatter.world/en/are-electric-cars-eco-friendly-and-zero-emission-vehicles-26440/
David Bello. (March 21, 2017). Electric cars are not necessarily “green”. Retrieved from Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/arabic/articles/news/electric-car
s-are-not-necessarily-clean/
future observatory. (March 10, 2020). Cars of the future: challenges of sustainability and the search for environmentally friendly alternatives. Retrieved from Future Observatory: https://mostaqbal.ae/future-cars-sustainability-eco-friendly-ways/
My curriculum. (February 8, 2018). Fossil fuel alternatives. Retrieved from My Curriculum: https://cutt.ly/WnDEbW4
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