Compiled by Zhou Ruifeng, a reporter from China Economic Weekly
The great thing about technology is that over time, new generations of products tend to get smaller and cheaper. But there are always exceptions to everything, and cars are a good example.
(Screenshot source: Bloomberg)
In the past three decades, due to the popularity of SUVs and pickups, the weight of modern cars has not decreased but increased. The shift from fuel-fueled to electric vehicles has made the weight problem more apparent in the short term – because lithium-ion battery packs are very bulky.
So far, automakers have given too little thought to the additional resource consumption and safety issues posed by heavy-duty vehicles. While most companies are now advocating sustainability, they are not guiding consumers in smaller, more energy-efficient directions.
There is no shortage of big and heavy models in electric vehicles. General Motors' electric version of the Hummer accelerates from 100 km/h in just 3 seconds and weighs more than 4 tons. The R1T pickup truck of American electric vehicle startup RICIIAN weighs about 3.2 tons, while Ford's F150 Lightning weighs nearly 3 tons, which is 35% heavier than the same fuel car. In the European market, the Mercedes-Benz EQC, Audi E-tron and BMW iX all weigh more than 2 tons.
Pickup trucks are popular in the United States. Analysts expect the all-electric F-150 Lightning to sell 32,000 units in 2022. In contrast, the F150 fuel version series will sell 726,000 units in 2021.
(Screenshot of ford electric version F150 Lighting official website)
Of course, these electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than fuel vehicles of the same size: they have higher energy conversion rates and benefit from clean electricity from renewable sources. However, even staunch advocates of electric vehicles will not believe that these electric vehicles, which are like "tanks", are a sustainable means of transportation.
According to the International Clean Transport Commission, in 2020, the average mass of electric vehicles sold in Europe is close to 1.7 tons, which is about 16% heavier than the average weight of all cars sold. Hybrid vehicles weigh more, averaging 1.9 tons.
Recently, Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis NV, said at the Morgan Stanley Automotive Summit: "One of the problems we face in the future is how to reduce the weight of electric vehicles, because excessive weight often means the consumption of huge resources." (Editor's note: Stellantis NV is currently the world's fourth-largest automotive group, formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot Citroën.) ）
The problem includes more than just soaring demand and costs for lithium metals and other raw materials. A new study points out that if consumers choose heavy vehicles, there will be more demand for electricity than expected, which will require a larger supply of clean electricity.
In addition, small cars and pedestrians are at risk of being hit by heavy vehicles – these cars have a higher chassis and are difficult to see children crossing the street. In addition, heavy vehicle tires wear out faster and are more likely to roll over the road, causing dust contamination.
In Europe, smaller models such as the Renault Zoe and Dacia Spring are popular. However, for profit reasons, large car companies often prioritize electric SUVs and high-performance sports cars. In Germany, due to the protection of German luxury cars, the emission reduction targets set by car companies are not very strict. According to Schmidt Automotive Research, SUVs and crossovers will account for 41% of electric vehicle sales in Western Europe in 2021.
Consumption reacts to production, and customer preferences play a big role. Consumers often have "range anxiety", fearing that electric cars will run out of power and break anchor halfway. Larger batteries — that is, larger, heavier models — can alleviate this mentality. Consumers are used to fuel "muscle cars" and want electric cars to be "on par" as well.
Therefore, in the past decade, although the energy density of lithium batteries has been significantly improved, it is mainly to increase the vehicle's mileage and power, rather than reducing the size and weight of the battery.
(Screenshot of Mercedes-Benz VISON EQXX official website)
Thankfully, attitudes are starting to change. Recently, Mercedes-Benz launched a pure electric concept car VISON EQXX, which is said to be able to travel 1,000 kilometers on a single charge and weigh only 1.75 tons – which is quite eye-catching data for a luxury car. This is thanks to better aerodynamic design, lighter materials and higher energy density batteries.
In the coming years, new technologies, such as solid-state batteries, will help electric vehicles lose weight again. The construction of fast-charging networks will convince consumers that they don't need such a large battery. In addition, new technologies such as automatic emergency braking (which have become standard in some models) will more fully protect the safety of drivers.
Compiled from Bloomberg, Statista
Editor-in-charge: Yao Kun
(The copyright belongs to China Economic Weekly Magazine, and no media, website or individual may reprint, excerpt, link, repost or otherwise use it without authorization.) ）