Will Fuel Vehicles Really Be Phased Out?
2 Answers
The claim that fuel vehicles will be phased out by 2025 actually originated from a meeting of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The average lifespan of fuel vehicles is between 10-15 years. Even if used without restrictions, the last batch of fuel vehicles, based on their average lifespan, would still be in use until around 2035, meaning they won’t be phased out during this period. Below are some drawbacks of fuel vehicles: 1. Point One: The energy density of gaseous fuels is low. Natural gas vehicles carry less fuel, resulting in shorter driving ranges compared to gasoline vehicles. Gaseous fuels occupy a certain volume in the combustible mixture in the cylinders (the volume occupied by liquid fuel in gasoline engines is negligible), which means less work is done when using natural gas as fuel in the same cylinder working volume. 2. Point Two: Most natural gas engines currently in use are modified from original gasoline engines. As a result, vehicles converted to natural gas often experience a power reduction of about 10%-20%, leading to phenomena such as poor uphill performance and slow acceleration response, as reported by drivers. Most diesel vehicles converted to natural gas using a "dual-fuel" modification method do not exhibit these issues, but the modification components are structurally more complex. 3. Point Three: Since current natural gas vehicles are modified from original gasoline or diesel vehicles, most of the original fuel systems are retained. Adding a natural gas fuel system, especially the gas tank, reduces the effective space of the original vehicle and increases its weight.
I often discuss the topic of phasing out fuel-powered vehicles with friends. From daily life experience, I believe the transition process will be lengthy. Currently, the coverage of charging stations is still insufficient, especially for long-distance travel - while gas stations can refuel in five minutes, electric vehicles take over half an hour to charge inadequately. Moreover, considering battery costs, electric vehicles in the same class are tens of thousands more expensive now, making budget-conscious families prefer economical fuel-powered cars. Living in northern regions, I've noticed electric vehicle range drops by 30% directly in winter, an issue fuel-powered vehicles don't have. Although policies are promoting new energy vehicles, fuel-powered vehicle technology keeps advancing too, with new engines achieving thermal efficiency exceeding 40%. Gas stations won't disappear for at least the next twenty years.
