What Initiatives Are Taken by European Government for Reducing Pollution?
In Europe, 90% of urban residents are exposed to pollution concentrations that are higher than the thresholds of air quality that are considered unhealthy. For instance, In the EU, it has been calculated that breathing in fine particulate matter shortens life expectancy by over eight months. Electric vehicles are a huge relief because the pollution problem has done so much damage.
As per the research electric vehicles are great for the ecosystem. As a result of the gasoline or diesel, it burns, fuel vehicles release toxic gases like carbon. As a result, using electric vehicles might help cut greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions. Moreover, the key solution to the pressing problems of bad air quality and traffic congestion that cities face is the electrification of public transportation.
Due to its delayed acceptance, there are currently few electric buses working in the region. The governments are taking steps to encourage the use of these buses by manufacturing, funding research and development, and sales of electric buses and enforcing strict environmental regulations that will have an impact on both the sales and use of conventional diesel-based buses.
The key benefits of electric buses over diesel alternatives are the reductions in emissions and improvements to air quality, as well as the cheaper overall cost of ownership (TCO). Although at the moment the cost of the battery still contributes to a higher overall acquisition price, the lesser TCO is a consequence of the lower price per km for driving on electricity compared to diesel.
Governments are setting goals to hasten adoption because of such advantages, including the Netherlands' requirement that all sales of ZEVs for public transportation be completed by 2025, and that all ZEVs in the fleet be completely replaced by 2030.
Europe is focused on the construction of opportunity charging and depot charging stations because of the rising number of electric buses. Since opportunity charging stations speed up the total charging process and reduce bus downtime, the region has recently placed more emphasis on them than depot charging stations. However, because of the increasing popularity of overnight charging buses, the acceptance rate of depot charging stations will increase in the upcoming years.
In addition, two methods are frequently employed for charging electric buses: daytime recharging (opportunity charging) + overnight charging (depot-only charge) and overnight charging. Due to practical and technological considerations, such as the necessity to balance batteries, opportunity-only charging is not currently feasible for electric buses.
Superchargers (150+kW) are known as "opportunity chargers," whereas chargers used for overnight charging (usually 30–50kW) are referred to as "depot chargers." However, overnight charging in the depot is also necessary when employing an opportunity charging plan.
Competitive Landscape: Major Players in the Europe Electric Bus Charging Station Market and their Strategies