Why is the electric car better for getting around the city center of large cities?

In Spain, we are suffocated by pollution; the smog over cities like Madrid, Barcelona, or Valencia is becoming increasingly frequent. This situation is exacerbated by a lack of rainfall and atmospheric stability, leading to the accumulation of nitrogen oxides and suspended particles from combustion vehicles. Is the electric car better for getting around the center of large cities?

As we will see below, there are numerous advantages to consider that traveling through urban areas with an electric car brings significant benefits for air quality in cities, offers advantages over combustion vehicles when anti-pollution protocols are activated, and also provides savings for users’ wallets.

We are all witnesses to the fact that pollution limits are being exceeded in many cities, and for this reason, traffic restrictions are being implemented, such as those in the city of Madrid or Barcelona, which we have already discussed in previous articles.

Which cities exceed pollution limits?

1.- Madrid.

Without a doubt, the Spanish city with the highest pollution, which is why the Madrid City Council frequently activates anti-pollution protocols to mitigate the effects of pollution. Madrid has exceeded hourly limits for nitrogen dioxide more than 32 times at 11 urban stations.

2.- Barcelona.

It is the second most polluted city in Spain; the Catalan city plans to imitate Madrid and activate traffic restrictions during episodes of high pollution.

3.- Zaragoza.

The lack of rainfall has caused this city to go from having excellent air quality to exceeding nitrogen dioxide limits as well as PM10 particles. This city has not yet designed an anti-pollution protocol, but the Zaragoza City Council has already announced a plan to achieve sustainable mobility.

4.- Sevilla.

It is the Andalusian city that, like Madrid, Barcelona, and Zaragoza, has exceeded nitrogen dioxide and PM10 particle limits. Sevilla does not have a protocol to implement restrictive measures.

5.- Valencia

Valencia activated episode 1 of PM10 pollution at the end of last year. It is a city that normally maintains hourly nitrogen dioxide levels, but as is the case in almost all Spanish cities, the lack of rain leads to increasingly frequent critical situations.

6.- Valladolid.

Its City Council has declared that daily PM10 values have been exceeded on several occasions; in fact, the city activated scenario 2 of the pollution protocol, a plan that, when applied, restricts speed and traffic in the city center.

 

Is the electric car the solution to avoid high pollution levels in large cities?

Electric cars do not emit polluting gases since combustion does not occur to achieve movement. What would happen if all urban trips were made with electric vehicles? If all urban trips were made with electric vehicles, the pollution problem in large cities would be significantly mitigated.

Moreover, another advantage of using an electric car is that these vehicles are allowed to circulate in the city centers even when anti-pollution protocols are activated. The electric vehicle is exempt from the prohibition imposed by city councils on circulating within cities when pollution levels require restricting circulation to combustion vehicles.

Additionally, in cities like Madrid, electric cars benefit from Plan A, as we already discussed in the article about “ELECTRIC CARS WILL AVOID RESTRICTIONS WHEN MADRID CLOSES THE CENTER TO TRAFFIC.”

But using an electric car to get around cities has more advantages; not only do we avoid traffic restrictions or park for free in SER zones, for example, but the cost of travel per kilometer is also much more economical in the electric car.