Introduction
It is a reality that emissions from transportation continue to increase. In fact, the number of vehicles worldwide has increased to such an extent that in cities the number of vehicles often exceeds their maximum circulation capacity, increasing the time they spend stopped with the engine running and, therefore, burning a greater amount of fuel, which aggravates the pollution problem.
Therefore, given the high dependence on fossil fuels, transportation accounts for 65% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in cities.
Regarding emissions of pollutants that affect air quality, 75% of particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) comes from freight transport and buses, while, in the case of nitrogen oxides (NOx), transport is responsible for 88% (Carbon Trust, 2018).
Vehicle emissions affect health and the environment in two ways: i) the generation of GHG emissions that contribute to climate change which, has a significant impact on people’s quality of life and health and ii) the emission of polluting gases that alter air quality and directly harm people’s health.
In this article we propose electromobility as a measure to combat these two major problems, showing the reduction of GHG emissions and the elimination of local pollutants that can be achieved by replacing the current fleet of public transport in Mexico City with an electric fleet, and reporting on the impact of these emissions on air quality and people’s health.
Electromobility
A question that is frequently asked in relation to electromobility is whether there is indeed a reduction in emissions considering the entire life cycle, from raw material extraction and manufacturing, to the final destination of both technologies (combustion and electric vehicles).
Currently in the manufacturing process, electric vehicles will produce more GHG emissions than an average gasoline vehicle because lithium-ion batteries require a lot of materials and energy.
However, once the vehicles hit the streets and start operating, the emissions from the production process are offset, particularly when they are operation intensive.
In this way, they counterbalance the emissions from the manufacturing process, unlike conventional vehicles, which emit CO2 throughout their life cycle (Reichmuth et al., 2020).
Additionally, the energy sources to produce the electricity with which vehicles are charged have the power to further reduce GHG emissions when they come from renewable sources. However, even with an energy matrix such as the one Mexico currently has, which is not predominantly from renewable sources, there is a considerable reduction in GHG emissions.
There is no doubt that there are opportunities to reduce carbon emissions in all types of vehicles.
The goal is to reduce carbon emissions during the manufacture and assembly of electric vehicles and increase the penetration of renewable energy sources in the global energy matrix, so that they represent a better option for the market.
