Renewables as the backbone of electrification

Challenge 1: Clean energy

The first challenge is a very fundamental one: We need to make sure the switch to electric engines goes hand in hand with the switch to renewable energy around the globe.

^{The sky’s the limit: solar and wind potential exceed total energy demand}

As shown above, one of the strengths of electrification is its high degree of efficiency compared to other technologies, especially engines burning fossil fuels.

A life-cycle analysis of cars with different powertrains, conducted by NGO Transport & Environment, has shown that even in the worst case scenarios, electric cars already offer clear advantages when it comes to CO2 emissions.

They found that:

“in the worst case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in China and driven in Poland still emits 22% less CO2 than diesel and 28% less than petrol. And in the best case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in Sweden and driven in Sweden can emit 80% less CO2 than diesel and 81% less than petrol.”

This video highlights why expanding renewables generation is key for the energy transition in urban mobility.