Squad Mobility in the energy transition  ☀️

Welcome to our new series: 

Squad in the energy transition

Just as we love the thought of sharing Squads, we believe in shared responsibility. The ownership of a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient future. From governments to individuals, all have a role to play in making the energy transition successful. Squad Mobility addresses issues such as local air quality, affordability of transport, congestion and the usage of finite resources. That’s why we are sharing this newsletter series. Together with you, we explore the energy transition, and how we can all contribute, each in our own way.

Electric mobility's impact on the grid

We all use energy, and that includes how we move around every day. According to European Commission Transport and Environment data, road transport (including cars, trucks, and vans) is still responsible for around 20% of Europe’s CO2 emissions, with passenger cars making up the largest share. And in cities, the traffic pollution from internal combustion engine (ICE) cars is a top contributor to unhealthy air and noise levels.

Electric vehicles are making a huge difference already. BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) both give a projection of global EV sales that are expected to top around 21 million vehicles in 2025. The IEA also reported that last year, electric vehicles cut oil demand by over 1.3 million barrels per day.

While switching to electric vehicles (EVs) is a smart move, we've still got some hurdles to clear. First, EVs often charge up using electricity from grids that burn fossil fuels. Then there's the charging situation. Many countries still lack the charging infrastructure to meet demand. A study by the ACEA - European Automobile Manufacturers' Association states: “Indeed, just three EU countries covering over 20% of the EU’s surface area, the Netherlands, France, and Germany, are home to almost two-thirds (61%) of all EU charging points. The other third (39%) of all chargers is distributed throughout 24 member states, covering almost 80% of the region’s surface area.” It goes on to say: “The European Commission is calling for 3.5 million charging points by 2030 to support the level of vehicle electrification necessary to reach the proposed 55% CO2 reduction for passenger cars”. To reach the European Commission's proposed 3.5 million by 2030 (pg.6),“nearly 2.9 million public charging points will need to be installed in the next seven years, equivalent to almost 410,000 per year, or 7,900 per week.” 

This involves substantial infrastructure, expenses, and a lengthy wait for a fair distribution of charging points. Moreover, range anxiety, the fear of depleting your EV's battery before reaching a charging point, remains a significant concern. And, while home charging is more cost-effective than public stations, it can still substantially affect your household's energy expenses.

Don't get us wrong, EVs are a great step towards sustainable transport. At the same time, we need to expand the capacity of our energy grids while staying away from fossil fuels, build out more charging spots, and reduce charging costs.

A solar return on investment

By harvesting the power of the sun, Squad drives at the beat of its own power. No plugs, no cables, no carbon-heavy energy behind them. Complete independence from electric charging (in a large part of the planet) and peace of mind. 

But for fun, let's dive into this. Say you live in Madrid, Spain, where the Squad can charge an average of 20 km per day purely on solar energy. That's about 7300 km per year. After 10 years, that's 73,000 km. On average, we can calculate a usage cost of €0.20 per km, (public transport in Europe, North America can vary from €0.10 to €0.30 per km). So in a 10-year period, you will have generated €14,600 euro worth of kms with the sun only! Calculating at €0.20 per km when using a Squad Solar Car in Madrid, you can earn back your initial investment in 6 years or less!

Thanks to the sun and hard work, our Squad community makes clean mobility practical and accessible. A lot of driving can be had without any grid or home charging. Owning a Squad not only supports you in contributing to the energy transition, it becomes an investment that makes economic sense.

Are you a distributor or reseller?

Take the lead in offering the world's first Solar City Car to your customers.  Place your free, non-binding pre-order now to secure a prioritized position on our production line for any quantity of Squad vehicles. You'll be helping your customers be at the forefront of climate action and your business will be an active contributor to the energy transition.

With over 5200 spots already claimed and the first year of production almost sold out, global interest in the Squad is soaring. Don't miss your chance to be at the forefront when deliveries begin!

In our next newsletters, we’ll explore different aspects of the energy transition and how, together with Squad, you can be part of the change. Because change only works if we all can be part of it.

☀️ Ready to drive change together?

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Header photo by lifeforstock on Freepik.