BMW shows that even a relatively large and luxurious electric SUV can have low consumption .... |photo: Václav Nývlt, Technet.czBreakthrough technical development is generally positively received, as it usually brings clearly defined improvements for the user.Bigger TV picture, higher processor performance, bigger memory card capacity, faster file transfer, more finely rendered game graphics... Simply put: it was something and now it's better.Thank youHowever, there are cases when the benefit of a given technological change is not so transparent.An example is the transition from the DVB-T broadcasting standard to DVB-T2.It upset a lot of people because they had to replace the TV set or buy an additional set-top box to continue watching free-to-air TV shows.At the same time, they were satisfied with the existing technology and did not want to change anything.The explanation that the main reason for the innovation is the need to free up part of the frequency spectrum for fifth generation data networks was quite often not of interest to them.They were not interested in Industry 4.0, they did not want to hear about new services and the development of new industries.They wanted to continue watching television broadcasts without investment.Even the fact that the new broadcasting standard uses more efficient coding and can thus bring a greater number of transmitted stations and better image quality was not enough for many.The current state suited them well enough for users.The biggest passions today are another technological change – the transition from internal combustion engines to electric drives.This is illustrated quite nicely by the following letter from a reader that landed in my email inbox."Hello, can you please explain to me why I should buy a car that costs at least 2x as much, weighs at least 2x as much, has at most half the range (but in reality, and in comparison with turbodiesels, rather a quarter)?And can it fit half the volume?e.g.... Ford Galaxy 2.2 TDI... average consumption 5.5 lv abroad (that is, at high diesel prices caused by you so-called promoters of eco-terror... 2.7 CZK per km, where approx. 40% of the price of diesel is taxes for the benefit of you, the eco-terrorists who on the poor, who will never be able to afford an electric car, often subsidized and with their taxes)., 10 thousand km in 2 weeks.The 2-year-old car cost CZK 500,000.Do you have any argument that would make me change or modify my opinion?The view is that politicians want more control over the population and useful idiots like you are helping them do it.How do you feel?Helping these eco-terrorists, modern-day Marxists.Thank you for your opinion and answer."Since I am sure that the author speaks from the soul of a considerable part of the readers, I allow myself to answer this publicly.It's a bit like DVB-T2.The switch to electric drives is not because drivers are fundamentally dissatisfied with the operation of vehicles with an internal combustion engine.These work satisfactorily and drivers are used to them.So why change it?The transition to electric drives is mainly to make automobile transport technically possible and at the same time accessible not only in ten, but also in twenty, forty or more years.And also because there is an urgent need to reduce air pollution, especially near homes - the importance of which is only emphasized by the findings of scientists about the connection between polluted air and the risk of developing cancer.And as I will try to explain further, neither current technology of engines burning petroleum products will allow.Let's start with the very future of fossil fuel-powered transport.Oil reserves, which have been building up under the earth's surface for millions of years, are getting thinner.It is impossible to say that they are running out, because no one knows for sure, but we know for sure that they have thinned out significantly since 1895, when the first barrel was mined.The so-called ERoEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) expresses the ratio of "energy spent to obtain new energy" to "energy obtained".In 1930, the return on energy investment in oil extraction was amazing - for 1 joule of energy invested, 100 joules of energy were obtained, i.e. ERoEI 100. In 2006, ERoEI had already dropped to 15, i.e. one joule of energy invested meant only 15 joules of energy obtained.It's more of an example - the values ​​fluctuate from source to source and especially vary according to the mining method.Tar sands mining is now the most profitable, but all sources agree on a rapidly declining trend.The fact that "the oil will run out" is not a matter of the fact that the bearings will "not even drip" anymore, but that so much energy will be needed for the "dripping" that it will not make sense, or the price of the resulting product will be unacceptable for customers.Or technologies would have to be used that would create an unreasonable clearing in the environment.Running out of available oil supplies would be a much bigger problem than many realize.Oil is far from being used only for the production of fuel.It is an important raw material for the production of plastics, rubber, medicines and a huge number of other important materials and commodities, which would suddenly have nothing to produce.It is a great shame to burn all this valuable liquid, which humanity has "received" a finite amount of.And when we realize that we burn the resulting fuel produced from it in engines with a poor efficiency of 30-40 percent (in other words, we de facto pour 6-7 out of every ten liters pumped into the canal), such behavior begins to appear absurd and stupid.Of course not at a time when there was no other way.But now the development has reached a stage where it is possible otherwise.Beautiful, futuristic, excellent driving.The Honda E is one of the most interesting urban electric cars.Automobile transport is a significant air polluter, especially in cities.In recent years, the situation has improved significantly with the use of solid particle filters, which, according to current regulations, are supposed to capture and burn most particles over 23 nanometers in size during regeneration.The positive effect on the pollution of the surroundings is great, but it has created the impression in part of the public that the exhausts of cars equipped in this way are discharging clean air.Which is a false impression.Firstly, because the current regulations address and measure only particles larger than 23 nanometers.The smaller ones have not yet been addressed, but there is already talk that in the future there should also be regulation of particles over 10 nanometers.It also turns out that during the process of regeneration (controlled burning) of the filters, there is a relatively high emission of finer overburnt particles (most of the "soot", however, is disposed of).The Fiat 500e has the highest cuteness indexThe second catch is that the particulate filter has a limited lifespan.Its replacement is expensive, and quite a few drivers therefore decide to remove it - physically, a free "flow" is created in it and the differential pressure sensor, which would be upset about this condition, is deactivated.A vehicle modified in this way is more harmful to the environment and people's health than a vehicle with an old engine that never had a filter.New engines operate at higher pressures and therefore produce smaller particles that are more dangerous when inhaled.Of course, not only solid particles fly out of the exhaust, but also carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides.The first is reduced by reducing fuel consumption, the second by a catalytic reaction with urea (AdBlue).Electric drives are also the solution to the problem of emissions, because they have zero emissions at the point of operation - an electric car will drive past you on the street, but it will not add anything to the air, at most it will create dust on the road.Peugeot e208 and Citroen ë-C4 are based on the same technology as other colleagues from the Stellantis concern, i.e. Opel Corsa-e and DS Crossback e-Tense.The total operating emissions of an electric vehicle depend on the electrical source from which the user recharges the vehicle's battery.In the Czech energy mix, which is significantly negatively affected by a large share of coal-fired power plants and has a carbon intensity of around 429 g CO2 per kWh, an electric car with a consumption of 17 kWh / 100 km will generate roughly 73 g CO2 per kilometer.For comparison, a diesel engine with a consumption of 6 liters per kilometer of driving produces about 160 g of CO2, i.e. more than double.And in France, for example, with a carbon intensity of 121 g CO2 per kWh, driving one kilometer with the same electric car represents the release of approximately 21 g CO2, i.e. eight times less than with that diesel.Both European and Czech energy are moving towards low-emission or emission-free renewable sources - now also because this alone will enable independence from the great powers, especially Russia.The total emission load from electrically powered cars will thus gradually decrease.And if you recharge, for example, from your own solar power plant on the roof, your carbon footprint can already be close to zero.So far we have talked about the objective reasons for switching to electric drives.However, for many people they are not really important - they see the lack of oil as a problem for the next generations and air pollution and global warming as conspiracies.So nothing that needs to be addressed.So what are the reasons for such people to choose an electric car?On the one hand, it is a very quiet operation - the electric drive only produces a very low level of noise, in some vehicles it is as if someone is pulling you on a rope, in others, in the interior, the quiet manifestations of the drive will be heard by a more sensitive ear in the background.The electrically powered car is so quiet even outside that up to about 30 km/h, a loudspeaker forms an acoustic accompaniment, alerting pedestrians in the vicinity to the movement of the vehicle, for example in the parking lot of a store.At higher speeds, the noise from the rotating tires informs about its movement.As you zip through the morning convoy, you sit in almost complete silence, which will only be disturbed by the drivers of cars with internal combustion engines in the vicinity.The same thing that we write about noise also applies to vibrations - the electric drive simply does not create them.King of the road and circuit.The Porsche Taycan offers incredible performance and a great ride.The second reason may be the dynamic properties of the electric drive.The electric motor has full power from zero rpm, and in most vehicles powered by it, there is also an immediate reaction to the accelerator pedal, so it fulfills the driver's intention much more immediately and quickly than fossil predecessors.It is pleasant when approaching the highway, during the connection from the secondary road to the main road or when overtaking in the districts.On the other hand, for example, on a sodden, unpaved road uphill, you will appreciate the very sensitive and gentle dosage of power at speeds bordering on zero - it is not much work to get going and climb the hill without slipping.The BMW i4 offers a famous combination of comfort, luxury and sporty ferocity and handling.The third reason may be the easier operation of the car.The driver has only two pedals at his feet, and most of the time he only gets by with the right one.Electric motors can switch to generator mode, in which they convert the car's kinetic energy back into electricity and store it in the battery - this is called recuperation.Most electric vehicles allow you to adjust the amount of recuperation so that when the driver takes their foot off the pedal, the vehicle either coasts or slows down more or less, leaving the driver to reach for the brake pedal, especially when they want to brake hard or stop.Some vehicles can directly "one-pedal" control, where they slow down to a stop through recuperation.The fact that the driver doesn't have to shift gears probably doesn't need to be emphasized - he can only use buttons (or a wheel or a lever on the steering wheel) to select D for forward travel, R for reversing or P for parking.Lower maintenance requirements may also be the reason for the purchase.Electrically driven vehicles are technically simpler (there is no complex internal combustion engine, multi-stage gearbox, clutch, solid particle filter, etc.), so the user does not have to deal with oil and filter changes, spark plugs, distribution boards and other operations.We wrote more about servicing electric cars here.Another reason to buy an electric vehicle can be the remote start of the car's heating or air conditioning, which is offered by the vast majority of electric vehicles.You only need to click on a button in the application on your smartphone or set a departure time in advance, and in the summer you get into a cooled car, while in the winter you arrive at a heated car with defrosted windows and sometimes even mirrors."... can you please explain to me why I should buy a car that costs at least 2x as much, weighs at least 2x as much, has a maximum mileage of half (but in reality and in comparison with turbodiesels rather a quarter)?And it can fit half the volume?...''As a rule, electric cars no longer cost twice as much as versions with an internal combustion engine, if you try to match the technical parameters and level of equipment as much as possible in the configurator.The real price of the version with an internal combustion engine also does not correspond to the item "price from", which only applies to the weakest version with the lowest equipment.There are no such versions for electric cars.Take the Volvo XC40 as an example – the Recharge electric version versus the closest B3 mild hybrid in terms of technical parameters (both in the Core equipment level).The electric one costs 1,249,000 crowns, with the internal combustion engine 1,069,000 crowns - the difference is 180,000 crowns, i.e. less than 17 percent.If you chose the T2 version with only an internal combustion engine (but with significantly lower performance), the difference would be 230,000 crowns, i.e. less than 22 percent.The Volvo XC40 Recharge is the first step towards a purely electric offer from the Swedish carmaker.In the case of cheaper cars, the difference increases, or the price of the battery is more reflected in the total amount.For example, the Hyundai Kona Electric Eco Smart costs 889,000 crowns, while the nearest petrol version (with a weaker engine) costs 519,000 crowns.The difference is about 70 percent.The biggest price problem of electric cars lies in the fact that there are no cheap vehicle alternatives yet, the cheapest fully-fledged electric car (if we leave out the Renault Twizzy or the El Blesk vehicles) is the relatively small and spartanly designed Dacia Spring for half a million crowns.Dacia Spring, the cheapest full electric car.But back to the aforementioned Volvo.The curb weight of the electric version is 2,030 kg, the weight of the purely combustion version is 1,480 kg.The electric version is thus 37 percent heavier.You can load 450 kg of cargo into the electric one, 500 kg into the combustion "T2", the difference is 11 percent.The volume of the luggage compartment of the electric version is 419 litres, the gasoline version 452 litres, the difference is 8 percent, but the combustion version does not have a front trunk, where a few small things can also fit in addition to the wiring.The electric XC40 tows a trailer weighing 1,500 kg, the combustion engine 1,600 kg, the difference is 6 percent.That an electric car "weighs twice as much and fits half as much" is pure nonsense.From the point of view of the range for "one full", the difference is of course big.If we base it on the manufacturer's data, the electric XC40 will travel 424 km, the petrol T2 will travel 729 km, so the difference is 70 percent.However, they differ in the way they are used.You can charge an electric car anywhere where there is a classic electrical outlet, or better a three-phase outlet.While you can only top up fuel in a vehicle with an internal combustion engine at a gas station, the battery of an electric car is ideally charged while parked.At home, at the cottage, at the store, at the cinema, in the parking lot, at work... wherever possible.And to make this possible in as many places as possible is the task for municipalities and charging network operators for the coming years.The electric car driver does not have to use the application to search for a station, he has to park and charge.And it is also an interesting opportunity for entrepreneurs.When the driver of an electric car has the choice of using the services of a boarding house, hotel, cafe or restaurant, the possibility to charge the vehicle is always an extra point.Setting up an AC charging point is not at all complicated, there are companies that will solve it from installation to authorization and payment system.Charging "AC" posts in parking lots.Here, a Renault Zoe recharging the battery near the center of Gdańsk, Poland.This occasional and destination charging does not have to be fast (11 or 22 kW AC is sufficient) and therefore places much lower demands on the infrastructure than superfast DC UFC charging stations with 150kW or 300kW output.These are designed for quick energy replenishment on the go.Although the answer is as long as Lovosice, there are still a few areas that will definitely be discussed and I haven't addressed them yet.Which I telegraphically correct a bit.Lithium mining.The largest ecological burden in the production of an electric car is the mining and processing of lithium for the battery, there is no dispute about that.But it is also a fact that lithium is not consumed during the operation of the vehicle, and when the battery reaches its end of life, it will be recycled and the lithium used again.For example, the recently commissioned factory of Northvolt and Volvo can do it.More will be added as the number of batteries for recycling increases (of which there has been a minimum so far).Battery life.There is a lot of nonsense about how long batteries will or won't last.A Porsche technician summed up the fact succinctly during a conference focused on electric drives: "Life is longer than we expected." It can be said that a quality battery should last the life of the rest of the vehicle.A recent measurement of the degradation of a used Hyundai Ioniq Electric with a 28kWh battery carried out in the Czech Republic brought a pleasant surprise – only a 3.4 percent drop in capacity was measured for a vehicle with a mileage of 224,000 km.A drop in capacity below 80 percent is considered the "end" of a vehicle's battery.However, this does not mean that the accumulator would be amen, only that the range of the equipped vehicle is shortened too much.The battery modules of the dismantled accumulator thus await further life in stationary storage, for example at small photovoltaic power plants.Risk of fire.Almost every electric car fire gets the media, so it gives the impression that almost every car will suffer such a fate.But the statistics say otherwise - even in terms of cars sold and kilometers driven, the risk of fire in an electric vehicle is significantly lower than in vehicles with an internal combustion engine.Another thing is that the car itself burns and goes out exactly like any other car.It is more complicated with the burning of the battery, when the so-called "thermal runaway" process can only be terminated by sufficient cooling, for example by long spraying with a stream of water.However, such a situation is quite exceptional and usually the investigation showed that it was a manufacturing defect of one of the cells.The possible ignition of the battery is something that their manufacturers are trying to eliminate with new procedures, materials and construction.Hydrogen electric car Hyundai Nexo during filling at a station in Kassel, Germany.What about hydrogen?Almost every discussion about the future of transportation turns to hydrogen.Personally, I foresee its application in freight and long-distance transport, possibly to drive trains or ships, but I would not be so optimistic in passenger car transport.Hydrogen is extremely demanding to transport and store, everything takes place at high pressures, and this places considerable demands on the quality of all fittings, pressure vessels and compressor cascades.Charging or liquid fuel filling stations are technically and financially almost ridiculous compared to hydrogen.Passenger vehicles are pressurized to 700 bars, which on the one hand means a lot of electrical energy consumed during compression, and on the other hand the fact that only a limited amount of hydrogen compressed in this way can be prepared in advance - the first cars will be filled with hydrogen within a few minutes, but depending on the power of the station for other vehicles, the queue can be tens of minutes.The production of hydrogen is also problematic - the vast majority of it is still produced from natural gas.Everything about electric cars and the new era of motoring, global trends in this area and changing legislation.Take a look at the latest models of electric cars and see how they fared in the test drives of Technet editor Václav Nývlt, who discovers the beauties and sorrows of electromobility behind the wheel of cars.According to current developments, Škoda will lose six manufactured models in the coming years.Especially about...Electromobile articles on iDNES.cz are generally very popular among readers.It was no different in...VIDEO The new Škoda Auto models will not be called Sharyaq and Prediaq.The names that Škoda kept...VIDEO Škoda presented a study of the electric SUV Vision 7S, which is also supposed to be the syllabary of a completely new...Absolute electro-amateurs have gone out into the world.It was six thousand kilometers to Norway and back.Read on...The Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology will build in Hungary for 7.3 billion euros (178...VIDEO The Mladoboleslav automobile company registered two...Premium Faced with the events of recent weeks on the Ukrainian fronts, Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization.How...Few technologies polarize society as much as electromobility.Some uncritically cheer for her, others...{CAPTION of the advertising article, also over two and maybe even three lines long, ending with three dots...}The James Webb Space Telescope has demonstrated its additional capabilities.The American space agency NASA has published new images...Between 1987 and 1995, work was done in Poland on the PZL-230 Skorpion light combat aircraft project.Unorthodox...{CAPTION of the advertising article, also over two and maybe even three lines long, ending with three dots...}Premium Science shatters the image of the world until it sometimes hurts.However, it is still better than being caught in a web of misguided prejudices...Premium Cats sometimes seem appetizing to us, but they only look for what is most beneficial to their bodies in bowls: meat full of...Premium Bringing a child into the world means experiencing many tense moments for most women.Coping with childbirth doesn't have to be...Premium Continuing piety in Great Britain for the late Queen Elizabeth II.and the display of the casket raises, among other things, a number of questions...September marks the peak of the period when, starting in April, natural gas reserves are pumped into underground storage facilities.For this purpose, in the Czech Republic...Advertorial The newly established European Committee for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTC) will be led by Czech Radek Hartman.She decided to...Premium Test pilot sounds like a very interesting and at the same time risky profession.Sit in a prototype that has only flown on...Few technologies polarize society as much as electromobility.Some uncritically cheer for her, others...View the promotional flyers of all stores nicely in one place!According to the tabloid, Agáta Hanychová (37) is pregnant after a four-month relationship with businessman Jaromír Soukup (53).I live in an apartment building managed by a community of owners.This year I moved from apartment number 9 to apartment number...Premium Bringing a child into the world means experiencing many tense moments for most women.Coping with childbirth doesn't have to be...The company Goodyear & Rubber must pay Czech inventor František Hrabal 65 million dollars (about 1.6 billion crowns).A quiet Sunday for gamers was interrupted by a massive leak of footage from the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI.Although nothing official about the game...