Since three years ago, the state announced a subsidy for the purchase of electric cars from 250 to even 5,000 euros, there has been a controversy over whether the budget is so rich that it can finance luxury. The purchase of these vehicles with a minimum of harmful exhaust gases is a waste of money for the majority of average citizens, especially since used diesel and gasoline cars imported from the West are mostly driving on the streets, which makes us look more like a junkyard for old cars.
I cannot say with certainty that electric vehicles with batteries have a completely secure future, regardless of the current very pronounced trends. The complicating factor for the Serbian market is the price of these cars, which, even with the existing state incentives, is still high for the average paying power. The representation of these vehicles on domestic roads is very small, negligible. Even at the world level, that percentage is not large, only a few percent – said in an interview for “Politika” Dr. Ivan Blagojević, professor at the Department of Motor Vehicles at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade.
What is the future of electric cars in Serbia? Could there soon be more of them on the streets or are we still low-paid to be able to afford them?
The future of electric vehicles in the world depends on several factors, and above all on their real ecological impact on the environment. This car has zero exhaust emissions, but only in the process of exploitation, i.e. using the vehicle. However, if we take into account the method of obtaining electricity, i.e. whether it is generated from fossil fuels or from renewable sources, we can see the real environmental benefit. In other words, an electric vehicle can be considered completely ecological if it is used in Norway (98 percent of electricity is obtained from renewable sources), while the same cannot be said for use in Serbia, where the share of obtaining electricity from fossil fuels exceeds 70 percent. . In addition, obtaining raw materials for batteries, as well as their recycling, impose additional questions about the real environmental benefit.
Is the future of electric cars guaranteed or not?
I cannot say with certainty that battery electric vehicles have a completely secure future, regardless of the current very pronounced trends. In addition to the mentioned data on the way electricity is produced in Serbia, the price of the mentioned vehicles is a complicating factor for our market, which, even with the existing state incentives, is still high for the average paying power. And finally, I have to emphasize the charger network, which puts Serbia at the back of Europe. In this sense, I cannot say that the silence of electric cars will flood Serbia in the near future. The popularization of electric vehicles by importing several years old used (cheaper) examples from abroad is not a good way to go. The lifetime of batteries and their disposal are the biggest opponents of the mentioned solution, and I believe that the interest of developed countries is exactly that, to transfer the problem to someone else’s backyard. We should also not forget the price of electricity, which in countries where the share of electric vehicles is higher is no longer attractive at all.
Is the percentage of these cars represented in Serbia known at this time?
It is actually very small, negligible. Even at the world level, it is not big, only a few percent. A significant increase was observed in the sale of new electric vehicles, especially in the previous two years in the countries of the European Union and the United States of America. We should not forget China, where the expansion is the greatest. The sale of new electric cars in Serbia is negligible. Considering the total number of vehicles on the world’s roads, the share of electric vehicles has not increased significantly, especially in Serbia.
Since we have an obligation to the EU to increase the percentage of green energy, do we produce enough of this electricity consumed by electric vehicles?
I will give a short answer – no.
What is the good and what is the bad side of electric cars?
The good sides of electric vehicles are zero exhaust emissions (if the electricity is obtained from renewable sources), many times higher energy efficiency of the electric motor (up to 97 percent) compared to the internal combustion engine. Then, the favorable characteristic of the torque where its maximum is available already at the time of laying, that is, at a low number of engine revolutions, very good acceleration characteristics, low noise and vibration level, significantly lower costs of regular maintenance, starting at very low temperatures. The disadvantages are reflected in the limited autonomy of movement (in real conditions of exploitation, this autonomy does not exceed 150 to 250 kilometers, although there are exceptions), the battery charging time is still very long (multifaceted even in the case of fast charging, not to mention slow charging), higher the mass of the vehicle due to the built-in batteries, and therefore less space, the availability of places for charging.
What is the difference between hybrid and electric cars and will we be a dumping ground for old diesel and gasoline cars for a long time?
Hybrid cars combine the good sides of electric and conventional vehicles and represent a very good and not very short-term transitional solution. We are talking about vehicles that, in addition to the internal combustion engine, also have an electric motor, so that in modes that are unfavorable for the operation of the first one, the second one helps, that is, the electric motor (which is expressed in the urban conditions of using the vehicle).
Their exhaust emission is not zero, as with electric vehicles with batteries, but it is significantly lower than with conventional cars, especially with hybrids that have a driving mode exclusively on electric drive. In this sense, the problem of autonomy of movement and charging speed for the mentioned vehicles does not exist. Whether we will be a landfill depends on the true and not conditioned aspirations of the state itself, but also of its citizens. Education of people is of particular importance, especially of the youngest part of the population. In this sense, I also see my own mission, which is why I founded the subject of vehicles and the environment at our department. Unfortunately, in Serbia, owning your own car (even more than one) has become an indicator of living standards and status, and due to the huge import of used cars, they have become very available.
Where do you see the solution?
In other forms of more energy efficient transport. You may notice that it is a very rare case that someone other than the driver is transported in the car. Organized public transport that uses alternative drives (electrical) and fuels (for example biofuels) is a suitable solution. For city conditions, we shouldn’t forget the means of micromobility such as electric scooters and bicycles.
How much do the government subsidies help to make these cars easier to buy?
You can find a precise answer in the state regulation that regulated this subsidy. As far as I remember, the subsidy for a “fully” electric vehicle is 5,000 euros (2,500 for a hybrid). Both a lot and a little, I would say. The problem lies in the fact that the number of subsidies at the annual level is limited, that is, until the stipulated annual quota is met. So, with the appearance of cheaper electric vehicles, they will remain unaffordable for many, and the stated sum makes sense for those cars.
