Drive of the Future: What Electric Mobility Can Do Simply Explained

The climate balance of electric cars is controversially discussed in public and on social media. A frequently heard claim: E-cars are hardly or not at all more climate-friendly than combustion vehicles, since the German electricity mix still contains a lot of coal and a lot of CO2 is produced during the production of their batteries. We have compiled here how the CO2 backpack of electric vehicles actually stands and how they perform compared to combustion engines.
 

More and more people can imagine switching to an e-car or are already making concrete plans. Others still have concerns regarding purchase price, charging infrastructure and range. In this article we clarify the most important questions around buying an e-car. What to consider when purchasing a used electric vehicle, potential buyers can find out here.

How and where do I charge my electric car? That is one of the core questions when it comes to e-mobility. At home, a wallbox is the best option. What to consider when purchasing and installing is shown in this summary. How Plug & Charge and ISO 15118 are supposed to make charging on the go increasingly convenient is explained by Manuel Hagemann from TÜV NORD in an interview. The electromobility expert also explains in detail how inductive - that is plugless - charging works. Those who want to know what's behind terms and abbreviations like SoC, AC/DC or the charging curve can find clarification in our ABC of e-mobility.

Brennende Elektroautos machen immer wieder Schlagzeilen. Bei vielen Menschen entsteht so der Eindruck, dass Batteriefahrzeuge ebenso brand- wie lebensgefährlich sind. Doch stimmt das? Roger Eggers von TÜV NORD Mobilität berichtet im Interview, wie es tatsächlich um die Sicherheit der Stromer bestellt ist.

According to the federal government's will, 15 million e-cars should be on the road in Germany in 2030. But will the grids hold up - or is there a threat of nationwide blackout if everyone charges their e-cars at the same time? And do we have enough electricity today and in the future to supply these new consumers? You can find answers in this article.

The postal service has been leading the way since 2016 with the StreetScooter. Meanwhile, more and more delivery services are bringing parcels and packages home fully electrically. So far, the e-fleets are predominantly operating in the inner cities. Hermes now wants to deliver electrically throughout Hamburg by the end of 2023. Since the beginning of 2023, garbage in the HafenCity is also being collected by an e-waste truck. Overall, the range of electric commercial vehicles has grown significantly in recent years. More and more truck manufacturers are also relying on e-motors for heavy loads and longer distances. We have compiled here which manufacturers are developing or already building battery trucks.

So far, battery cells for e-cars come mostly from Asia. Politics and the automotive industry want to change this and make Germany a center of European battery cell production. VW laid the foundation stone for its first own cell factory in Salzgitter in summer 2022. In Thuringia, the first European plant of Chinese manufacturer CATL has already started operations. We provide an overview of who is planning what and where in Germany.

When lithium-ion batteries become too weak for use in e-cars, they are far from being scrap metal. Before they go to recycling facilities, they can first serve well for additional years as stationary power storage. How e-car batteries get a "second life," we have written up here. How and with which methods they can subsequently be recycled, you can learn about in this article.

The solid-state battery is considered by some to be the "Holy Grail" of electromobility. No wonder, as it is supposed to be incombustible and offer higher ranges and charging speeds compared to today's lithium-ion batteries. How the solid-state battery is progressing, when it can be expected and whether it can live up to the high expectations, you can read here.