Electric cars attract with ever larger batteries and ranges. That makes them more attractive to many drivers. But every additional lithium cell also has a negative impact on the environmental balance.
When the first electric cars with lithium batteries came onto the market over 10 years ago, they were extremely expensive due to the extremely high battery costs. For most drivers, the price-range ratio was therefore not right either. Many of the first-generation Stromers could only travel 100 kilometers on one charge. In the meantime, the prices for traction batteries have fallen sharply and many current models with range windows suitable for long distances are available at affordable prices. In many cases the customer can choose between different battery sizes and thus ranges for a series. There are a lot of arguments in favor of the largest possible batteries, but at the same time you buy several disadvantages. Finding the optimal balance is not easy.
Probably the most important aspect of the size issue is the battery's ecological backpack. E-cars are mainly touted as a climate-friendly mobility alternative to combustion cars, because as long as they are refueled with climate-neutral electricity as consistently as possible, the CO2 emissions when driving are also very low. But when considering the CO2 balance, the ecological backpack of the battery must always be taken into account. The larger this is, the greater the associated impact on the environment and climate. According to calculations by the ADAC, around 100 kilograms of the climate gas CO2 are produced per kilowatt hour of capacity during the production of the battery alone. In the case of the electric Kona, for example, which Hyundai offers with either a 39 or 64 kWh battery, additional carbon dioxide emissions of around 2.500 kilograms are already generated when building the larger battery variant, which, according to the ADAC, corresponds to the average amount of electricity in a two-person household in two years in the German electricity mix.
In addition, e-cars with large batteries also perform worse in terms of consumption, because more battery capacity also means significantly more weight, which in turn increases power consumption and also has a negative effect on the carbon footprint.
But the CO2 pollution is not the only decisive factor for the environmental calculation. Even the degradation of the raw materials required for battery production has a negative impact on the environment. The mining of materials such as lithium lowers the water table in the mining regions and tears holes in the landscape.
On the other hand, with a larger battery you also buy a lot of advantages when using it. Anyone who has an e-car with a long range will also use it more frequently, because vehicles with a short range are unsuitable for many application scenarios or have to be charged too often. If the battery is large, you are more flexible in several ways. And e-cars with large batteries usually also have charging technology on board, which allows the battery to be filled more quickly. Large batteries are also beneficial for the driver's psychology, as they reduce fear of range and possible stress.
In addition, the size affects the aging process of the traction battery. The decisive influence on the long-term performance is namely the number of charging cycles, because the power capacity shrinks slightly with each charge. This is also known as degradation. The more charging cycles, the greater the loss of capacity and thus the aging of the battery. If the battery provides a range of 400 kilometers, it ages over the lifecycle only half as fast as a battery with a range of 200 kilometers. A cost-intensive battery replacement becomes increasingly unlikely as the size of the battery increases, especially since the larger battery always offers the larger buffer when the capacity decreases in both cases. If the capacity of a small battery has already fallen significantly, it can make it difficult or even impossible to use in winter, because the cold reduces the range even further, which further limits the usability of batteries that have been severely degraded.
However, there can be no general recommendation as to which battery size is correct. That also depends on the personal life situation and the respective use. If you want to use as few resources as possible and protect the climate as much as possible, you should opt for a small electric car with a small battery. Class L7e lightweight trolleys, such as the two-seater Microlino, which will be launched this year, are ideal here. As an alternative to such electric dwarfs, there are car models such as the basic version of the Fiat 500 or the Mazda MX-30, which provide moderate battery sizes and ranges of around 200 kilometers. Such a range window should offer a sufficient buffer for the average commuter. Models with smaller batteries are also recommended for those who want to use the electric car primarily as a second car for the city. If, on the other hand, you only want to own a car that can also be used for longer tours or even vacation trips, you are well advised to invest in a larger battery. Then you wouldn't need a second car with a combustion engine for the long tours. However, if you rarely need a car for long journeys, you could alternatively only rent it when necessary and otherwise use your electric car with a small battery for everyday use. What you save when buying a Stromer with a small battery will be enough for many car rentals.
Speaking of costs: When it comes to the battery size, the available budget is always important. As a rule, greater range also costs significantly more money. Reach giants are still mostly far beyond 50.000 euros in terms of price, despite the innovation bonus. If a small battery is enough, you can get into e-mobility for just over 10.000 euros thanks to the environmental bonus. With the smaller battery, the financial barrier to entry into more climate-friendly mobility also falls.
