Global warming is not going to stop by itself. We'll have to power our vehicles with something other than petrol. But is electricity really the ideal solution?

A-Z: E for electric car

The number of cars  is going to double by 2030.

1.6 billion exhaust pipes  spewing out CO2.

It's not the solution to global warming.  We'll need an alternative to petrol.

Are full-electric cars  as clean as they seem?

Full-electric cars are cute!  Also, their range has doubled.

Fully charged, they can go  100-200km, causing no pollution.

Charging them is cheap, 1-3 euros.  Such great potential!

European manufacturers  think they're a sure bet.

Today, the electric car is a viable solution,

as long as it is used for the particular  purpose it was designed for.

The electric car lends itself better  to journeys within town.

But it'll be hard to take one  on a driving holiday.

With its urban look, the full-electric  car is the star of the showroom.

With zero CO2 emissions,  it's also the EU's pet.

The EU considers urging the states to  pay incentives to scrap polluting cars

Today, we're all aware  that we have to fight climate change

and significantly reduce  our CO2 emissions.

The European Parliament  are the legislators.

We're the ones who say that by 2020,  these are the levels we have to reach.

By 2050, this is what we have to achieve.

One problem is developing  a standard socket-and-plug for the EU.

Another problem is that it takes 6 hours at  the plug-in point to recharge the battery.

Time-saving solutions  are becoming available.

In Belgium, there are cheap,  rapid-recharging points.

A full battery costs 4 euros  and takes 20-30 minutes.

But is the electricity network ready,  as we'll need electricity

If we had to change over  to full-electric cars by 2020,

a further 3 nuclear power stations  and Belgium already has 7.

The electric car. Is it the  'clean' option for the future?

That depends on where  the electricity comes from.

If it comes from coal-fired power stations,

which emit loads of CO2, the electric  car will cause a lot of pollution.

But if it comes from renewable energy,  it is clean.

An electric Smart car in China  produces at least 8 times more CO2

So, that's not going to stop me  from having a quick spin! Bye!