Charging, autonomy, maintenance. The strengths (and weaknesses) of the electric car

Rome, 7 June 2022 – Twenty minutes at best, at least four times the time it takes a traditional car to refuel. But recharging the battery is not the only unknown factor of a future that promises to be electric. Umberto Desideri, professor of thermal machines at the University of Pisa, puts them all in a row. Professor, from 2035 we may be forced to buy only green cars. Is 13 years enough to get ready for this revolution? “If we want to convert the entire current fleet, no”. When we think of electric cars, we are struck by range anxiety. Is this a legitimate concern? “Of course, the problem is practical: if we run out of petrol, we call a relative or a friend, who then comes to our rescue with a full tank. If the battery runs out, however, there is no alternative to the tow truck. it even happens, in days with a black stamp, to find yourself in a queue on the motorway for hours under the sun: keeping the car on to make the air conditioning work, you risk staying still there “. Then there is the question of charging times. Are they compatible with our daily life? “No. It takes a few minutes to refuel petrol or diesel, while for a quick recharge of electricity it takes between 45 and 60 minutes. These times are manageable if we change the way of understanding the use of the car: personal mobility based on the possession of the vehicle to the idea of ​​sharing, to car sharing, in short. In the city it is possible, less outside the city “. Moreover, many of the columns currently installed are of the 3 kilowatt hour type, which means slow recharging. Can they be upgraded? “Yes, there are high-power columns. But they are incompatible with renewable sources, suitable for reduced powers”. With a power of 3 kilowatt hours how long does it take to recharge? “Let’s take the case of …