EVs are still better for the environment

 ....even if electricity is generated by 100% coal.

From Popular Science

These days, it seems like every carmaker—from those focused on luxury options to those with an eye more toward the economical—is getting into electric vehicles. And with new US policies around purchasing incentives and infrastructure improvements, consumers might be more on board as well. But many people are still concerned about whether electric vehicles are truly better for the environment overall, considering certain questions surrounding their production process.

Despite concerns about the pollution generated from mining materials for batteries and the manufacturing process for the EVs themselves, the environmental and energy experts PopSci spoke to say that across the board, electric vehicles are still better for the environment than similar gasoline [petrol] or diesel-powered models.

“We do know, for instance, if we’re looking at carbon dioxide emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, that electric vehicles operating on the typical electric grid can end up with fewer greenhouse gas emissions over the life of their vehicle,” says Dave Gohlke, an energy and environmental analyst at Argonne National Lab. “The fuel consumption (using electricity to generate the fuel as opposed to burning petroleum) ends up releasing fewer emissions per mile and over the course of the vehicle’s expected lifetime.”

[Related: An electrified car isn’t the same thing as an electric one. Here’s the difference.]

With greenhouse gas emissions, it’s also worth considering how the electricity for charging the EV is generated. Electricity made by a coal- or oil-burning plant will have higher emissions compared to a natural gas plant, while nuclear and renewable energy will have the fewest emissions. But even an electric vehicle that got its juice from a coal plant tends to have fewer emissions compared to a gasoline vehicle of the same size, Gohlke says. “And that comes down to the fact that a coal power plant is huge. It’s able to generate electricity at a better scale, [be] more efficient, as opposed to your relatively small engine that fits in the hood of your car.” Power plants could additionally have devices in place to scrub their smokestacks or capture some of the emissions that arise.

EVs also produce no tailpipe emissions, which means reductions in particulate matter or in smog precursors that contribute to local air pollution.

“The latest best evidence right now indicates that in almost everywhere in the US, electric vehicles are better for the environment than conventional vehicles,” says Kenneth Gillingham, professor of environmental and energy economics at Yale School of the Environment. “How much better for the environment depends on where you charge and what time you charge.”

Electric motors tend to be more efficient [4 times as efficient!] compared to the spark ignition engine used in gasoline cars or the compression ignition engine used in diesel cars, where there’s usually a lot of waste heat and wasted energy.

Creating an EV produces pollution during the manufacturing process. “Greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing an electric vehicle are almost twice that of an internal combustion vehicle…that is due primarily to the battery. You’re actually increasing greenhouse gas emissions to produce the vehicle, but there’s a net overall lifecycle benefit or reduction because of the significant savings in the use of the vehicle,” says Gregory Keoleian, the director of the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan. “We found in terms of the overall lifecycle, on average, across the United States, taking into account temperature effects, grid effects, there was 57 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for a new electric vehicle compared to a new combustion engine vehicle.”

In terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with operating the vehicles, fully battery-powered electric vehicles were the best, followed by plug-in hybrids, and then hybrids, with internal combustion engine vehicles faring the worst, Keoleian notes. Range anxiety might still be top of mind for some drivers, but he adds that households with more than one vehicle can consider diversifying their fleet to add an EV for everyday use, when appropriate, and save the gas [petrol] vehicle (or the gas feature on their hybrids) for longer trips.

To put things in perspective, Gillingham says that extracting and transporting fossil fuels like oil is energy intensive as well. When you weigh those factors, electric vehicle production doesn’t appear that much worse than the production of gasoline vehicles, he says. “Increasingly, they’re actually looking better depending on the battery chemistry and where the batteries are made.”

And while it’s true that there are issues with mines, the petrol economy has damaged a lot of the environment and continues to do so. That’s why improving individual vehicle efficiency needs to be paired with reducing overall consumption.

[Read more here]

The Microlino.  A cute 2-seater EV, now available in Europe, and costing a mere $17,000 after tax.
I've talked about it here.

The Microlino finally makes it

I wrote my first post about the cute all-electric Microlino in 2018, and my second in 2020, but at last it looks as if the car will finally start production this month (March), with first deliveries in April or May.

From Autoweek

The bubble-shaped Microlino 2.0 is headed into production in a matter of weeks, despite the delays and disruptions prompted by the pandemic. Micro Mobility Systems has revealed that production will begin in March of this year, following the model's favorable debut at the Munich IAA Mobility last fall.

The Isetta-styled EV, designed and engineered by a Swiss company, is slated to be produced in Turin, Italy, and to go on sale in Switzerland later this year before a wider rollout in Europe. The two-seater will feature a 25-hp motor drawing power from a choice of three batteries, offering 6-, 10.5-, and 14-kWh capacities, which are expected to be good for 60, 109, and 143 miles of range, respectively.  [95, 175 and 230 km]  

Micro Mobility Systems says that it is already producing pre-production examples for testing and process optimization, despite some component shortages. The company projects that the first customer examples will be delivered in April or May. The configurator, meanwhile, is expected to go live in February, with the company having reported over 24,000 reservations back in the fall of 2021. 

"Our goal was to deliver the first vehicles to customers within the end of the year [2021] but the worldwide supply chain chaos is affecting us like many other carmakers," the company indicated. "Despite our preparations to order crucial parts way in advance, the situation has gotten much worse and is now affecting more and more parts. Now, even commodity parts like simple connectors for the wiring harness have become scarce and have lead times of up to 50 weeks!"

The bubble car won't actually be classified as a car in the EU, but rather as a quadricycle, allowing for more liberal licensing, but its 56-mph top speed will also keep it off the autoroutes. With a starting price of around [US]$14,000, the Microlino 2.0 could be a popular alternative to other low-ranged EVs and electric scooters, as well as some actual electric cars with similar ranges.

For example, the longest-range 143-mile trim level could eclipse the ranges some larger EVs like the Mini Cooper SE and the Mazda MX-30, but will be far cheaper to purchase and use for in-town driving, while taking up far less parking space than even something relatively small, like a Volkswagen ID.3. These range numbers are unofficial for now, but given its modest power requirements, a small and light vehicle can stretch its range past larger EVs even with a smaller battery.

"The long anticipated online configurator is almost ready and will be launched in February, with the first test drive events following soon afterwards," the company added. "Apart from the three editions Urban, Dolce, and Competizione that we already unveiled, we will introduce the exclusive limited-edition for the first 500 Microlinos ever produced, called Pioneer Series."

Micro Mobility Systems does not have plans to offer the Microlino 2.0 in the US at the moment, and given the reception that small electric hatches have received it may seem quite logical. The main constraint for its maker at the moment is production capacity in Turin, given the demand in Europe. It will be quite some time before the Microlino could be ready for other global markets, ones friendlier to small EVs, with the company prioritizing western Europe first.

Microlino EV gets a refresh

From Green Car Reports:

The Microlino, a retro EV inspired by the classic Isetta/BMW microcar, is getting a redesign despite not having gone on sale yet.

Now dubbed Microlino 2.0, the tiny EV is scheduled to appear at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show.

A redesign was necessary in order to meet certain internal safety standards, according to a press release from Micro Mobility, the car's manufacturer. That necessitated changing the vehicle's structure and increasing the rear track width, along with all of its overall dimensions.

In addition, Micro Mobility said it redesigned the interior and gave the Microlino a more powerful electric motor. The company hasn't published updated specifications. In its original form, the Microlino had a 20-horsepower motor, granting it a top speed of 55 mph. Micro Mobility said the original price of $13,600 will not change.

First shown in 2016, the Microlino is a modern, all-electric homage to the Isetta, a microcar designed to economically remobilize Europe after the devastation of World War II.

The original Isetta was designed by Italian firm Iso, which later built the Grifo and Rivolta sports cars. But it's probably better known as a BMW, as the German firm built far more cars under license than Iso itself did.

The redesigned Microlino will be displayed in Geneva alongside a concept electric scooter called the Microletta, which has a top speed of 49 mph. That would normally require a motorcycle license in Europe, according to Micro Mobility; the company circumvented it by giving the Microletta two front wheels, similar to the Toyota I-Road.

Micro Mobility plans to sell the Microlino in Europe and China, but not the United States, in part because it is unlikely the car would pass U.S. crash tests.

Here's my previous piece about the Microlino

The Microlino

I talked here about the gorgeous Nobe, from Estonia, and here about the elegant retro Luka from Czechia.  There's another wonderful electric bubble car, called the Microlino, this time from Switzerland.

[A]s quirky as the streets it is destined to drive along, the microlino – a small, electric city car first shown at the 2016 geneva motor show – has passed its last tests and is now legal across european roads. production starts in december 2018 with deliveries in switzerland thereafter, before entering into the german market in 2019.  [It was supposed to enter production mid-2018.  Musk isn't the only one who takes longer to realise his plans than he thought.]

Seating two.  Note the retro dashboard. 
But the electric motor will make this bubble car much, much quieter than the old Isetta.

[M]icrolino’s 2.4 meter-long, dual toned design is based upon a BMW ‘Isetta’ from 1956. the electrified concept aims to change personal mobility, bringing a max speed of 56 mph and 0 to 31 mph in 5 seconds. it also delivers two different ranges – 126km [78 miles] and 202km [125 miles] – depending whether the small or large battery is installed – 8kW/h and 14.4kW/h respectively.  [You can get such a long range from such a small battery because the car is so light]

[T]aking convenience to the next level, the two-seater car can be recharged at any conventional domestic power socket. furthermore, the front door design ensures that, when cross-parked in cities, the driver and passenger can exit and step straight on to the pavement.

[Read more here]


small, electric microlino car soon to be driving along european streets from designboom on Vimeo.

Range anxiety

Lots of potential EV buyers worry about range anxiety  Most of the time, of course, we actually drive short-ish distances.  In the USA, for example, 95% of average car trips are shorter than 30 miles (48 kms).  So a battery allowing for 100 miles range would cover your daily commute plus a detour to pick up the kids and buy groceries, even without chargers.  You'd charge your car up overnight in your garage. 

Source: Energy.gov

If you are spending $40K or more on an EV, then yes, you do want a decent range.  And for that you'd prolly buy a Tesla, because Tesla has lots of battery grunt plus it has far and away the best supercharger network, not just Tesla superchargers but also "destination chargers" at hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.  But if what you mostly need is a small, cheap car to whizz around the city in, then a long range is not essential.  As battery costs fall, the number of different EV models will grow fast, and you may be sure that there will be some very cheap EVs available which will cater for 95% of your trips.  Like the charming Microlino for example.  And as the number of EVs on the road expands, the number of chargers will expand too.  Those driving small cheap EVs will just have to stop more often to recharge when they do travel long distance.