On the way to net zero
Dacia expert Didier Michaud explains exclusively why purely electric models alone are not enough for car manufacturers on the way to the climate targets for 2050 and what Dacia's strategy looks like.
"We also need to reduce CO2 emissions," clarifies Didier Michaud, Platform & Powertrain Leader at Dacia. "We also need to become more efficient in terms of paint and coatings and energy consumption in general in order to meet the net-zero challenge by 2050." Even in the development of new Dacia models and in design, CO2-emissions are taken into account. "We consciously select certain steels or materials, such as graphite for the battery. We also have to offer our customers greener energy for using the vehicles."
Didier Michaud does the math, that production is responsible for 13 percent of CO2-emissions of a car: "Over 86 percent are caused by use and 1 percent at the end of the car's life when it is recycled." Dacia tries to build its models as light as possible, including e-models with their heavy drive batteries. "With lighter cars, we can then work with smaller engines," says the Frenchman. They also try to improve the aerodynamics of each vehicle with small details. "We are using more and more recycled material; with the last Duster it was 10 percent, with the current one it is already 20 percent - such as the plastic parts recognizable by white speckles," explains Michaud.
The most important measure, To make combustion engines more efficient as well, mild hybridization with 48 volts is the answer. "This helps to reduce around 10 to 15 percent of CO2 ", says the Dacia expert. The Jogger, Duster and Bigster models even achieve a reduction of 20 to 25 percent thanks to their hybrid drive. "The next level of reduction comes with electric drive, but this also has a CO2-load, because you can't just look at the exhaust," says Didier Michaud unequivocally. This is also one reason why Dacia does not want to become the most electrified brand. Electrification is sometimes very expensive, depending on range and battery size, and Dacia customers are also price-conscious, which is why electric Dacias are not a top priority.
"We are launching new e-models at Dacia, but not before 2027 or 2028," Michaud specifies. "And the Dacia Spring is the only electric car under one ton. We have defined the extra precisely according to the needs of our customers." After all, it makes no sense to pack just one large traction battery into an electric car. This large battery causes more CO2 and are hardly used in everyday life. For the Dacia expert, it makes more sense to pack a suitable battery size into an electric car and make charging easier. "Of course, a suitable infrastructure also needs to be set up for this and there is still a lot to do," says Didier Michaud meaningfully. "We know that Dacia will have to be purely electric in 10 years' time, but not yet!"
