If it's up to the government, we'll be making a massive switch to electric driving in the coming years. Why don't we have fully electric vehicles in our fleet yet? Simple: due to high depreciation, that would drive up our rental prices. Plus: is electric driving really as ‘green’ as we all think at the moment?
The answer to that last question is a simple ‘no’.
Carbon dioxide
Did you know, for example, that during the production of an electric car, more CO2 is emitted than in the manufacture of a ‘regular’ car? This is mainly due to the manufacture of the battery. Of course, electric cars make up for that once they hit the road. Over their entire lifespan, an electric car is cleaner than a petrol or diesel car. But we do need to add a few caveats here.
Namely, our rental cars are replaced after a number of years and then go on to a second life as used cars. At that moment including the manufacturing process, doesn't a car or bus produce more CO2 produced than an electric car. This assuming that the electricity on which an electric car runs is not always sourced from renewable sources.
Batteries' environmental problem
At the moment, the large-scale recycling of old batteries from electric cars is also not yet profitable. Of course, that will change as more electric cars come onto the road, but at the moment many batteries still end up in landfill sites in countries like China. Not exactly environmentally friendly.
Vehicle tax
For the time being, electric cars are exempt from vehicle tax. This means that electric car drivers do not contribute to the maintenance of the road network, even though their electric vehicles are heavier than their petrol or diesel equivalents. Not entirely fair, if you ask us. Furthermore, petrol and diesel drivers are already effectively paying for the subsidy you receive on the purchase of electric vehicles from 2021.
Hydrogen, fuel of the future?
Do we not care about the environment then? Nothing could be further from the truth. Electric driving will become greener and greener, but at the moment it is not as green as some would have you believe. Furthermore, we believe that the hydrogen car will eventually overtake the electric car. Perhaps sooner than you think.
How do you feel about the government's plans? Will your next car be electric – why or why not? Hire a minibus in MaastrichtThis is possible at Adrem Car Rental!
One Response
The energy efficiency of hydrogen cars is only around 30% when powered from the grid. The energy efficiency of a fully electric car is around 90% when powered from the grid. So you need three times as many wind turbines or solar panels for hydrogen cars as you do for a BEV! That is why the hydrogen car will never make it.