We do not know how much plug-in hybrids consume and it is not very clear what they pollute. We do not know because it is very difficult to understand how the driver of a vehicle of this type behaves and, intrinsically, it is just as difficult to replicate these conditions in a laboratory test.
That is why plug-in hybrids consumed just one liter of fuel according to official approvals. That’s why they now consume much more. And that is why for entities like Transport&Environment, they are cars that They consume seven times more than they say.
All of this has put in the spotlight a technology that looks like the perfect bridge to jump from combustion car to electric. With plug-in hybrids that travel more than 100 kilometers in purely electric mode, the solution seems perfect for those clients who they do not dare to take the step to a pure electric car.
With Europe determined to make the jump to the electric car and some clients who do not fully embrace this new paradigm, Germany has chosen to position them as the logical evolution. To convince the rest of Europe, he wants to put a stop to those who use the plug-in hybrid as a pure combustion vehicle. And why do you take this step? Because your industry is at stake.
More combustion please
Just a few days ago, Germany and Italy presented themselves to Europe as the guarantors of the combustion engines from 2035. In front they have Spain and France who have teamed up so that we forget about this type of mechanics from 2035 if they are not neutral in carbon emissions. This would leave out plug-in hybrids.
The plan goes through a review of objectivesan analysis of how the European Union is adapting to the new regulations. A process that Germans and Italians want to take advantage of to modify the regulations already approved.
Germany’s latest proposal has been launched from the VDA association (Verband der Automobilindustrie), which encompasses German industry manufacturers. These manufacturers, including those who said they would make the leap to electric cars even before 2035 (such as mercedes either Audi) are now committed to maintaining combustion engines. They assure that there is not enough demand of electric cars to guarantee production and anticipate massive layoffs if the jump to “neutral in carbon emissions” is made.
What is now proposed is to keep plug-in hybrids alive in exchange for the driver being obliged to recharge the car in a specific kilometer cycle. Although it has not been specified how long that number of cycles would be, the punishment has been proposed: limiting the power of the car.
Technically, the car would have a software that counts the number of kilometers that the vehicle has not been used in purely electric mode. At a certain point, if the car is not recharged, the vehicle’s power is limited as a clear reminder that the time has come to plug in the car. The obvious intention is to prevent someone from buying this type of car and never using the car in electric mode.
Although from a purely economic point of view it doesn’t make much senseright now in Spain if you buy a plug-in hybrid you can receive a minimum of 2,500 euros discount with the MOVES III Plan (if the car does not exceed 45,000 euros before VAT is applied) but counts as an electric car if the range is greater than 90 kilometers, increasing the aid to 4,500 euros discount and 7,000 euros if a vehicle is scrapped. In addition, many cities have advantages such as free parking in zones with limited hours, entering the interior of the ZBE or using the lane Bus-HOV despite only having one passenger inside.
In return for maintaining combustion engines, Germany wants to put a stop to traps that operate in a similar way to AdBlue, for example, which prevents starting a diesel car whose tank is completely empty.
It is not the first proposal to arrive for plug-in hybrids either. On other occasions the possibility of fence cities using GPS so that this type of automobile can only operate in completely electric mode within the city or very specific places in it (schools, hospitals…).
This is something that can already be done and German manufacturers such as BMW has been mounting it for years with options in the browser that allow you to move only in electric mode within the municipalities and they save battery (or even produce it by converting the car into an electric generator) if passing through a city is contemplated on the route.
Photo | bmw
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