E-mobility Emission Saving Tool

The innovative algorithm capable of accurately calculating the benefits of electric mobility on health and the environment.

Recharges completed

7.192.049

95.240.020

Kg of CO2 saved

17.781.412 €

Public costs for health and environment saved

-148.163

Noisy cars in a year

Data refer to the country Italy as of January 1, 2018. Last updated:

How do we calculate it?

Through our infrastructure, the following information is available to us:

the number of recharging events in progress at any one time;
the total amount of energy delivered.

The data used to calculate the emissions saved is sourced from the recharging infrastructure - for both public and private use - in Italy that's connected to the Enel X Way Integrated Platform. The fact that this infrastructure is “always connected” enables better and easier collection of the data required for the algorithm.

How many equivalent trees?

In order to make our calculation easier to relate to, we decided to take it a step further: taking the CO2 saved from supplying a certain amount of kWh and converting it into an equivalent number of trees. Enel X Way is keen to shine a light on the incredible effort being made to improve the sustainability of mobility through the electrification of road vehicles, with the transition from thermal to electric powered, and to measure the resulting saving in CO2 emissions, also in terms of the trees/year equivalent.

Data regarding the quantity of kWh supplied comes from the Enel X Way Integrated Platform, which centrally manages all the information relating to the charging services. This data comes from the different recharging facilities connected to the system across Italy. The Fast and Quick public and private access facilities (both PoleStation and Waypole) are equipped with MID-certified internal meters.

The connected wallbox-type facilities for private use are equipped with an integrated meter that’s calibrated during production.

The CO2 calculation commences with an estimate of the distance travelled by electric vehicles, more precisely 100% electric Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) in electric-only mode. The factor used is the average consumption of electric vehicles currently on the market, calculated by the Politecnico di Milano in the paper: “Apriamo la strada al trasporto elettrico nazionale” (“Paving the way for national electric transport”)*.

In order to convert this distance travelled into CO2, calculations are based on the average emissions produced by the vehicles currently on the road in Italy, using data published by the ISPRA Institute. The figure is updated annually.

kWh supplied

Enel X Way's integrated platform manages the data coming from the public and private access points connected to the charging infrastructure.

Distance travelled

The number of kilometers travelled is estimated based on the average consumption* of electric vehicles currently on the market, as calculated by the Politecnico di Milano.

ICEV emissions

The CO2 that would have been emitted by conventionally powered vehicles, taken from ISPRA data on average annual vehicle emissions across Italy.

CO2 saved

The net CO2 savings can be calculated, once the CO2 that is emitted to produce the kWh used has been determined, based on the current national energy mix.

Equivalent trees

Using the amount of CO2 absorbed by a tree in one year, it’s possible to calculate the equivalent number of trees for that amount of CO2 saved.

* The electric vehicle consumption figure is expected to remain constant over time, and refers to the consumption of BEVs or PHEVs in the electric-only mode. Currently, electric vehicles are already extremely efficient vehicles. In fact, the electric engine is already highly efficient (over 90%), so it is unlikely to improve significantly over time. The consumption largely depends on the vehicle’s weight and aerodynamic coefficient:

1. The aerodynamic drag is already contained via very high levels of efficiency, with Cx = 0.28 for C-segment cars, largely thanks to design considerations aimed at increasing the range and quietness of the vehicles, as well as a number of inherent advantages (e.g., a flat underside due to there being no central exhaust system).

2. The weight is already low, thanks to design considerations aimed at increasing the vehicle’s range. The engines are already very light and powerful (there’s no reason to increase the power further, 150 hp for a hatchback has already been achieved), so the only element that could be optimized is the battery (its specific weight). The trend is to increase capacity while keeping the size the same.

Not just CO2, also particulates and nitrogen oxides

Enel X Way, through the e-MES tool, is also looking to underline the incredible effort being made in terms of the reduction in other pollutants, which can have a major impact on public health, entering the environment. Indeed, road transport leads to the emission of small pollutant particles of varying size (hence PM 2.5 - PM 10, generically PMx, i.e., particulate matter), which generally come from two sources:

the application of brakes and tires rolling on the road;
emissions from internal combustion engines.

While the former is significantly reduced with electric vehicles, thanks to regenerative braking

that uses the electric engine as a kinetic energy converter, the latter is completely avoided. Regarding the exhaust gases produced by thermal powered vehicles, in addition to CO2, they also include nitrogen oxides (NOx) which, like PMx, are highly toxic to living organisms, if emitted into the environment.

As in the case for CO2, by taking into account the emissions generated by Italy’s electricity production system, Enel X Way has created an algorithm that converts the kWh supplied through the charging infrastructure into a quantity of polluting substances that would otherwise have been emitted into the environment: the e-MES tool.

Financially quantifying the health and environmental benefits of Enel X Way e-mobility

Enel X Way decided to financially quantify the impact of reduced atmospheric and noise emissions linked to the recharging services it provides, including in terms of the health and environmental benefits generated. In order to do so, it used the “EC Handbook of the External Cost of Transport” version 2019 1.1, a document written by the European Commission with the objective of making it possible to calculate the negative externalities generated by transport in terms of greenhouse gas emissions (typically CO2), pollutants (NOx and PMx) and noise pollution.

Using e-MES 3.0, Enel X Way is able to calculate, as of March 2021, a total financial saving, thanks to e-mobility, of more than € 3.7 million for the community since it commenced its activities. Based on Motus-e*** projections, according to an Enel X Way estimate calculated using the e-Mobility Emission Saving tool, by 2030 a total of over €400 million will have been saved in terms of health and environmental benefits generated, thanks to the public recharging services.

*** “The future of electric mobility: the recharging infrastructure in Italy @2030”

The e-Mobility Emission Saving tool validated by RINA

The e-Mobility Emission Saving algorithm is the first algorithm to be validated by RINA (an official Italian certification organization) for this specific purpose.

Evaluation of the saving in CO2 greenhouse gas emissions (calculated in accordance with the principles identified in “ISO 14064-2:2019 Greenhouse gases” Part 2), polluting gases such as PMx and NOx, and noise pollution, and the financial quantification of the negative externalities on health and the environment, in accordance with methods and emission factors indicated in the principal reference sources.