China Daily Network December 29, according to the British "Economist" reported that sitting on an electric car, you will be surprised. The smooth, instant acceleration experience brought by battery power makes driving easier and more exciting. The latest technology has been applied, and electric cars have abandoned the old-fashioned switches in favor of tablet-like operating screens. Coupled with the fact that prices have fallen again and again, buying an electric car is no more expensive than buying a fuel car, and the spacious roads are also calling people to keep up with the trend of the times.
Beneath those glossy exteriors, however, the mess of wires in the trunk of an electric car reminds you that about every 250 miles (400 kilometers) you need to plug in the power supply for charging. When you find a public charging station, you find that the charging station is broken or cannot be used. In this way, it is not surprising that people are reluctant to buy electric vehicles because of "range anxiety".
If the goal of net zero emissions is to be achieved, the transition from hydrocarbon power to electric power is to be achieved. However, the more popular electric vehicles are, the more prominent the charging problem is. Most wealthy car owners usually charge electric cars at home or at work. But more modest-income car owners won't set up charging stations in front of their homes or in corporate parking lots.
By 2040, 60% of charging behavior will not be at home, which will require a large network of public charging stations. At the end of 2020, there will be only 1.3 million public charging stations worldwide, and it is estimated that 200 million public charging stations will be needed to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
The Economist report was posted
Who will install such a huge number of charging stations? What an electric car crash requires is a fast "long-haul" charging station installed next to the highway that not only recharges quickly, increases battery life by hundreds of miles, but also reduces the speed of energy consumption.
Charging stations can be configured in car parks on the side of the road, in shopping malls and in malls. The private sector, which has captured the signal of money from soaring eviction penetration, is starting to get booing. Companies specializing in charging equipment and automakers are starting to invest in infrastructure. Oil companies led by Shell have also begun to deploy charging equipment in gas stations and acquire companies that produce charging equipment. Utilities with large reserves of electricity for sale are also eyeing the scene.
Even so, electric vehicle charging still faces huge problems. On the one hand, how to coordinate the relationship between the charging point owner, the installation site's business, the planning authority and the grid company. On the other hand, there is the issue of cost. It is estimated that the cost of installing charging stations to achieve net zero emissions in 2050 is as high as $1.6 trillion. In the beginning, due to the problem of the utilization rate of charging stations, the profit may be very small. It is also a risk that coverage is difficult to calculate precisely. California is the best place to install charging stations, but will anyone really be willing to invest in Nebraska? In addition, competitive networks are also one of the problems. Drivers who go from one charging station to another should be spared the hassle of re-registration.
What to do? Governments are also experimenting with various means. In addition to subsidizing the sale of electric vehicles, some governments also fund public charging stations directly. The U.S. Infrastructure Act allocates $7.5 billion to project 500,000 public charging stations by 2030. The UK will require new buildings to be equipped with charging equipment. However, this is only a drop in the bucket, and the issues of coordination, coverage and convenience still need to be addressed urgently. Governments should learn from the telecommunications industry. Most countries issue limited licences and spectrum rights to companies operating regional and national mobile networks or issue certificates and rights through auctions. In return, the companies must build networks, provide universal coverage, and compete with each other as planned. Regulators have established rules that allow users to roam between different telecom operators.
There are also shortcomings in this approach. Europe's flawed auction programs have left companies heavily indebted, while in the United States, competition among operators has become less intense. Over the past 20 years, more than $4 trillion has been spent globally on telecommunications infrastructure, and mobile phones have gone from luxuries in the hands of the wealthy to something everyone can reach. Elites who make climate policy should perhaps follow this approach.
(Translator: Yao Yushuang Editor: Wang Xuquan)
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