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A New Type Of Electric Car Developed By A Design Agency Specializing In Future Mobility Will Future Serve As A Viable Model For Replacing Short-Distance Flights, Significantly Reducing CO2 Emissions
Even though short-distance flights are quick, such as the air bridge between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, they end up emitting a high amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), possibly double what is produced by an average car over a trip. Considering these environmental preservation issues, British designers have developed a new electric car model – as an ecological and accessible solution – that aims to replace the air transport segment.
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In addition, the Budget Air Car features autonomous driving and electric propulsion. Regarding its development, the agency’s main goal is to minimize CO2 emissions, especially on trips that can be made in a few hours, such as short-distance flights, the well-known air bridge. It is estimated that each person would produce about 5 CO2 g/km when using the CDR electric car.
That is, only 2% of the 250 CO2 g/km that the same person would produce on a flight if taking the same route. Thus, one person could make about 50 trips in the electric car, having the same environmental impact instead of a single flight, over the same distance.
Characteristics Of The Budget Air Car And Its Contribution To The Environment
According to the British Car Design Research, the trend of the Budget Air Car is efficiency, as despite its initial idea of being useful for short trips, the car has been fully planned with electric powertrain that can also support long-distance travel.
Thus, the CDR electric car project would prioritize not only the vehicle’s performance but also its autonomy. Regarding the vehicle’s interior, to accommodate up to six people in three rows, the car, which is still just a digital concept, will be about 5 meters long, 1.8 m wide, and 1.5 m high.
European Countries Issue Notice Of Short-Distance Flight Restrictions
After analysis, it was found that about 80% of flights in European countries are made on short-distance routes. Therefore, as a way to reduce the high CO2 emissions generated by these trips, some European countries are already restricting short-distance flights.
The French parliament last year voted to ban domestic short-haul flights if there were a viable rail alternative and the journey by train took a maximum of 2h30.
The Austrian government decided that the shortest route within the country, which is between the capital Vienna and the city of Salzburg, will now be made by train, taking about three hours.
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