Sind Elektroautos wirklich umweltfreundlicher? 🚗⚡| EnBW E-Wissen — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00I'm sure you're familiar with this.
2. 0:01You're sitting down to a nice meal with
3. 0:03friends or are at a party
4. 0:05and then the keyword is electromobility.
5. 0:08Very often this is the starting signal for
6. 0:10a heated discussion of principles with the question:
7. 0:14How environmentally friendly are electric cars really?
8. 0:17Oh no, what kind of stupid question is that again?
9. 0:20Are you serious? That's totally important.
10. 0:22Oh yes, saving the world with electric cars or what?
11. 0:25Of course, it's better than continuing to pollute the air.
12. 0:28That's what he says who is constantly
13. 0:30driving around with a petrol engine.
14. 0:31Yes, but I don't think it's cool.
15. 0:34Oh no, here we go again.
16. 0:36Yes, as if e-cars were travelling without CO2.
17. 0:40Why? They drive emission-free.
18. 0:42Yes, and what about the CO2 backpack, with
19. 0:44that the e-car already starts through the production of the battery?
20. 0:48That's not possible. Don't always exaggerate like that.
21. 0:51So my next car will definitely be an electric car again.
22. 0:54Ah, I think that's good.
23. 0:55If you say so. So that's how it always works, isn't it?
24. 1:03Electric cars are still an absolute
25. 1:05trigger topic, especially when it comes to the
26. 1:08climate friendliness of the batteries.
27. 1:10So what is it about the criticism that
28. 1:12E-cars are not really climate-friendly?
29. 1:15This opinion is really persistent.
30. 1:17Only recently, Norddeutscher Rundfunk conducted a survey on the topic
31. 1:20in which 51% of respondents claim exactly that.
32. 1:24So an electric car is no better for the environment than a combustion engine.
33. 1:28And this high percentage shows just how controversial the topic is.
34. 1:32Anyone who knows me knows that I have been driving
35. 1:35fully electric for over seven years and I am absolutely thrilled.
36. 1:38But I will of course scrutinise the topic neutrally and openly.
37. 1:43So let's take a close look at the
38. 1:44environmental footprint of e-cars together and let you prepare
39. 1:47with clear facts for the next round of discussions.
40. 1:51Keyword Well-to-Wheel, or WTW for short.
41. 1:54To determine the life cycle assessment,
42. 1:56the entire life cycle of a vehicle must always be considered
43. 1:59from the fuel source to the wheel.
44. 2:03The ADAC also works with this evaluation.
45. 2:06We will therefore now take a closer look
46. 2:08at the following points. Firstly, the production,
47. 2:11secondly the utilisation, thirdly the maintenance, fourthly the disposal and
48. 2:15fifthly and most importantly, the final balance and efficiency.
49. 2:20Let's start with the production, which
50. 2:22also engaged many critics in discussions.
51. 2:25The life cycle assessment: production of electric cars.
52. 2:29The electric motor contains significantly fewer
53. 2:32parts than a combustion engine, which definitely favours the ecological balance.
54. 2:38Here is a direct comparison.
55. 2:40I think the difference is recognisable at first glance, don't you?
56. 2:44The bottom line is that fewer parts mean fewer resources, which means less CO2.
57. 2:49Furthermore, the electric motor does not score
58. 2:52not only during production, but also during operation.
59. 2:55While the combustion engine regularly
60. 2:57has parts such as engine and transmission oil, spark plugs,
61. 3:01oil filter, silencer, catalytic converter and so on that have to be replaced,
62. 3:06all these parts are not present in the electric motor.
63. 3:09Accordingly, they do not need to be changed.
64. 3:12But now we come to the crux of the matter
65. 3:14production of electric cars, namely the battery.
66. 3:18It is the centrepiece of the electric car and
67. 3:21the centre of any discussion on electric mobility.
68. 3:24And are the critics right?
69. 3:26Well, at least they're not entirely wrong.
70. 3:30The manufacture of batteries requires
71. 3:32a lot of raw materials and energy.
72. 3:35The extraction of raw materials is also repeatedly criticised.
73. 3:38And what is also true: The bigger the battery, the higher the CO2 balance.
74. 3:43However, the technology of
75. 3:45batteries have already improved considerably in recent years.
76. 3:48In addition, the required
77. 3:50raw materials will no longer be completely
78. 3:52newly mined in future, but can be partially
79. 3:54reused by recycling old batteries.
80. 3:58Nevertheless, compared to the combustion
81. 4:00engine, the electric car with
82. 4:02the current battery models are slightly behind
83. 4:04in terms of environmental performance.
84. 4:06So the fact is, fresh off the production line, the CO2
85. 4:09backpack is slightly heavier with an electric car than with a combustion engine.
86. 4:13But it is also a fact that research and manufacturers are working at full speed,
87. 4:17to further optimise the life cycle assessment of traction batteries.
88. 4:20And there's still plenty of air.
89. 4:22CO2 balance: electric cars versus combustion engines in road traffic.
90. 4:27A recent study by the Statistical
91. 4:29Federal Office shows that 64 per cent of
92. 4:31all carbon dioxide emissions are still emitted in the
93. 4:34transport sector falls on cars and two-wheelers.
94. 4:37Combustion engines are still in the
95. 4:38majority on the road and have also lost ground with the
96. 4:40new registrations with correspondingly high emissions.
97. 4:44But what about the values of
98. 4:46electric cars off when they are really going?
99. 4:49In discussions, the flag is always held up for electric cars that they are
100. 4:53emission-free, in contrast to combustion engines, which permanently emit CO2.
101. 4:58The fact is, the technology of an electric car can drive emission-free.
102. 5:02But of course, electric cars are only as clean
103. 5:04on the move like the current with which they travel.
104. 5:07If you charge with 100% green electricity - EnBW, for example, operates its own
105. 5:11charging stations with 100% green
106. 5:13electricity - or your own solar power for driving -
107. 5:16you are actually travelling almost emission-free.
108. 5:20However, if you drive with a German
109. 5:22electricity mix, this is not really possible, as
110. 5:24over 25% coal and natural gas-fired
111. 5:26electricity is still being fed into the grid.
112. 5:29Driving with Strommix can therefore not be assessed as CO2 neutral.
113. 5:33Here is an overview of how many grams of
114. 5:35CO2 the respective drives produce per kilometre driven
115. 5:38plus fuel production.
116. 5:42As you can see, even if you drive with a German electricity mix, you are always
117. 5:46even more sustainable than with a diesel or petrol engine.
118. 5:50In addition, the CO2 emission factor is
119. 5:52falling thanks to the increasing proportion of
120. 5:54of renewable energies in the German
121. 5:56electricity mix from year to year.
122. 5:59For diesel and petrol, on the other hand, the values remain constant or
123. 6:03even increase, as production and
124. 6:04transport is becoming more and more
125. 6:06complex due to increasingly difficult extraction sites.
126. 6:09By the way, a subscription to our channel is also sustainable.
127. 6:12This way you are always up to date when a new episode is uploaded.
128. 6:15And feel free to leave a like if you like the episode.
129. 6:18An interim assessment.
130. 6:20Battery production marks the start of an
131. 6:23electric car behind combustion engines in the life cycle assessment.
132. 6:26But then the tide turns on the road.
133. 6:29With every kilometre driven,
134. 6:31the electric cars will replace the
135. 6:32combustion engines after around two to three years.
136. 6:34First the petrol, then the diesel and then you're almost climate-neutral on the road.
137. 6:39The cleaner the electricity, the faster it goes.
138. 6:41How high-maintenance are electric cars?
139. 6:46Electric cars also require regular maintenance.
140. 6:49It is recommended that electric cars are serviced every one to two years.
141. 6:53You don't have to do it, except for some
142. 6:56manufacturers, they expect that when it comes to warranty services, well, they
143. 6:59also want to earn a little something.
144. 7:01Brakes, brake fluid, the chassis
145. 7:04and the steering should be checked at every inspection or
146. 7:06be checked at the TÜV, where this test is also mandatory.
147. 7:10The battery, on the other hand, does not require maintenance.
148. 7:13All in all, this means plus points in the life cycle assessment.
149. 7:16After all, an electric car has fewer wearing parts than a combustion engine.
150. 7:21The environmental impact of disposing of an electric car.
151. 7:24The disposal of electric cars is like
152. 7:27for combustion engines regulated by law via the End-of-Life Vehicle Ordinance and
153. 7:31the Battery Act also applies.
154. 7:34Traction batteries are hazardous waste.
155. 7:36However, in the future by
156. 7:38increasingly better recycling methods they're going to be an important source of the valuable
157. 7:42raw materials for the production of new batteries.
158. 7:45Manufacturers or battery sellers are
159. 7:47to take back the old batteries and recycle them.
160. 7:51The good news:
161. 7:52Decommissioned traction batteries are still working.
162. 7:55Firstly, with a load capacity of 70 to
163. 7:5880%, a traction battery is far from being worthless and can be used in a
164. 8:03Second Life for many more years.
165. 8:07For example, as a stationary
166. 8:09Energy storage for a wind power or photovoltaic system.
167. 8:12Secondly, as an alternative, it is technologically
168. 8:15possible to recycle up to 95% of cobalt, nickel, copper and
169. 8:20lithium from the old batteries.
170. 8:24This is not yet economically affordable, but it is possible.
171. 8:28Final balance and efficiency.
172. 8:31For the final balance sheet, we are looking at a
173. 8:33graphic that gives us a good overview.
174. 8:35The data clearly show that
175. 8:37electric cars produce less CO2 over their entire life cycle and
176. 8:42are obviously more environmentally friendly than combustion engines.
177. 8:46Finally, the most important point: efficiency.
178. 8:50This provides information about the efficiency of a vehicle.
179. 8:53While the petrol engine ends up with only about 20%
180. 8:56of the 100% energy used for transport, the e-car is the most popular with 70%
181. 9:01energy utilised and thus deserves a special mention.
182. 9:06Huge plus point in the environmental balance.
183. 9:08My conclusion: the CO2 backpack of an electric car is definitely better than its
184. 9:16reputation and ultimately lighter than that of a combustion engine.
185. 9:19And that very clearly.
186. 9:20Electromobility can therefore actually
187. 9:23be the game changer in the transport
188. 9:26sector to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.
189. 9:28And the best thing about it is that driving electrically is much more fun.
190. 9:32I hope you were able to summarise a few facts for the next round of discussions.
191. 9:36Otherwise, why don't you send the video to a few critics?
192. 9:39And if you need more arguments, take a look at the following video.
193. 9:42You can also find the link in the info box.
194. 9:45Very importantly, the topic of electromobility is polarising.
195. 9:48And we look forward to hearing your opinion in the comments.
196. 9:50But one request - question critically, but
197. 9:53please remain objective, open and friendly.
198. 9:56Thank you for that. Until the next episode.