Electric vehicles and charging stations development

New generations of electric vehicles

Today and in the future, we will have several types of electric vehicles on the market: both pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, which run on both electricity and other fuels. Development in battery technology has been very rapid over the last few years; new commercial pure electric vehicles now have a range of around 150  kilometers. This range covers most peoples’ daily needs.

Plug-in hybrids can be more versatile than pure electric vehicles. The pure electric range of a plug-in hybrid is usually between 20 and 80 kilometers, which can cover up to 75 % of all daily travels. When the battery runs empty, the combustion engine takes over, allowing you a much longer range. Even when driving on gasoline/diesel, the plug-in hybrid takes you further than a conventional vehicle because the hybrid technology makes it more energy efficient.

The role of electricity in transports

There are several advantages to driving electric. The most obvious one is the reduction of local emissions and noise. By increasing the role of electricity in transports we would also reduce our dependency on imported oil. Furthermore, we would be less dependent on one single energy source, since a mixture of sources can be used to produce electricity; wind power, hydro power, nuclear power, biomass, coal, etc. 

Using electricity in the transport sector would shift local emissions from millions of exhaust pipes to emissions free power sources or larger point sources where emissions are more easily controlled, creating new prerequisites for clean and silent city environments. Depending on energy source, carbon dioxide emissions can also be significantly reduced compared to gasoline and diesel.

What would happen to the energy system?

The additional electric power demand from charging electric cars can initially be compared to the existing electric engine pre-heaters, which are very common in the Nordic countries today. The power grids in Europe, and in particular Sweden, will be able to cope with this increased demand, even with a large number of electric vehicles. For a future with massive fleets of electric vehicles, we are investigating smart charging where electric cars are charged at low demand.

What we do in E-mobility

Vattenfall has worked with electric vehicles in different forms since the 1980:s. Vattenfall believes that electricity will play an important role in the transportation sector and be part of a long-term sustainable society. To make the charging experience as convenient as possible for customers, further technological development is required.

For more information about what we do in the field of Research and Development (new window)