Motoring corner With Carlover

“CO2 Emission Reduction” An electric car is a car powered by an electric motor rather than a petrol engine. Just looking at it from the outside, you would probably have no idea that a car is electric. In most cases, electric cars are created by converting a petrol-powered car, and in that case it is impossible to tell. When you drive an electric car, often the only thing that clues you in to its true nature is the fact that it is nearly silent. Under the bonnet, there are a lot of differences between petrol and electric cars; the petrol engine is replaced by an electric motor, the electric motor gets its power from a controller and the controller gets its power from an array of rechargeable batteries. Much as the petrol engine, with its fuel lines, exhaust pipes, coolant hoses and intake manifold, tends to look like a plumbing project. An electric car is definitely a wiring project. Many people have explored how mobility can deliver in developed countries and globally, in ways that are sustainable, affordable and effective. Since 2007/08 a number of previews have been presented to the several governments, more so the government of UK, the focus on carbon emissions from transport has increased. Globally, transport accounts for around 14% of Carbon dioxide emissions and over 50% of the world’s oil production. The global car population is around 850 million vehicles, on average 13 people in 100 have a car; in the US it is 60 in 100, in India and China it is less than 1. If, by 2050, with a world population estimated at 9 billion, we might reach an average of almost 3 billion cars. Clearly, this phenomenon is not sustainable in terms of energy consumption vis-à-vis the environment impact. To avoid damaging impacts of climate change we need to reduce Carbon dioxide emissions by at least 50% globally, and we may have reached, or approaching ‘peak oil’. According to the “King Review” that looked at decarbonising road transport in the UK, in the context of a target of 80% Carbon dioxide emissions reduction by 2050 in developed countries, with a focus on vehicle technologies. Professor King provides an overview of these developments, not only on vehicles but more broadly on cities and consumer behaviour. After sixteen years as an academic researcher and University lecturer at Cambridge and Nottingham universities, Julia King joined Rolls-Royce PLC in 1994. At Rolls-Royce she held a number of senior executive appointments, including Director of Advanced Engineering for the Industrial Power Group, Managing Director of the Fan Systems Business, and Engineering Director for the Marine Business. In 2002 Julia became Chief Executive of the Institute of Physics, and in 2004 she returned to academia as Principal of the Engineering Faculty at Imperial College, London. In December 2006 she became Vice-Chancellor of Aston University. Julia was appointed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in March 2007 to lead the ‘King Review’ to examine the vehicle and fuel technologies that, over the next 25 years, could help to reduce carbon emissions from road transport. Road transport underpins our way of life. In all parts of the world, it takes food to markets, shops and homes; individuals to work and back to their homes; etc. Since, Henry Ford produced the Model T, the first mass-produced motor vehicle, nearly a century ago, road transport has dramatically enhanced mobility, economic prosperity and quality of life for millions if not billions of people, as well as becoming a major industry in its own right. In the future, as the economies of the world continue to develop, there is no doubt that road transport use will expand even further, bringing with it even greater benefits and evils as well. (To be cont’d) motoringcorner@live.co.uk

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Motoring corner With Carlover