https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/dutch-…
Filters collect carbon dioxide from the air as you drive giving net negative carbon values.
Absorbing carbon dioxide is easy, but recovering the carbon dioxide and regenerating the filters is the hard part. Usually energy intensive.
Lime will absorb carbon dioxide and form calcium carbonate (aka limestone). Quicklime is made by heating limestone in a kiln at high temperatures–generating carbon dioxide as a by-product (along with CO2 from the fuel used). Can probably be done in an electric kiln but you need cheap electricity and collecting the carbon dioxide released can be a challenge.
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/dutch-…
From the article…
ZEM uses two filters that can capture up to 2 kilograms (4.41 lb) of CO2 over 20,000 miles of driving, the Eindhoven team estimated.
2 kg from 20,000 miles of driving. In the Netherlands, it will probably take a year or more to collect the 2 kg.
Meanwhile, a one GW coal-fired power plant produces a million kg of CO2 every hour. Over a year, the coal plant produces 8 billion kg, at a 90% capacity factor. It will obviously take many, many of these cars to offset the CO2 of even one coal plant.
This carbon capture technology looks like a marketing gimmick to me. It lets the customer think they are “saving the planet” by buying one of these expensive-looking EVs, and car company earns ESG points to enhance its image. And the atmospheric CO2 concentration just keeps rising.
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Yes, its another feel good solution to the global warming problem.
Not unlike recycling where we learn that most materials collected for recycling end up in the trash. But people endorse the program enthusiastically and are willing to pay more for the collection of it. It make them feel good.
This is especially bad if materials like lime are used to trap the carbon dioxide when lime is made by heating limestone releasing carbon dioxide.
Yes, this looks like a scam unless they have some clever engineering solutions.
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