Prof. Dr. Serkan Abbasoğlu, on the importance of solar energy in electric vehicles

Vice Rector and the Director of the Sustainable Energy Research Center at Cyprus International University (CIU) Prof. Dr. Serkan Abbasoğlu discussed the recent developments in electric vehicles.

Prof. Dr. Abbasoğlu explained that increasing fossil fuel vehicles cause environmental and noise pollution, and on top of that rising diesel and gasoline costs are another major problem. Alternatively, electric vehicles are on the agenda of the whole world. Abbasoğlu also foresees that 40% of the vehicles produced in 2025 will be electric.

He reminded that we have an island network that is dependent on electricity mentioning the need to be sensitive about the steps to be taken on electric vehicles in our country where the need for investment is heavily debated.

The number of electric vehicles, which would be a burden on the existing power grid and are likely to increase without an alternative source of electricity being identified, would pose a major problem, said Abbasoğlu.

Sweden, which has taken a serious step towards electric vehicles in 2019, faces an electricity problem. The country is now taking different steps to address this problem. Prof. Dr. Serkan Abbasoğlu said “we are much more fortunate in this regard. Vehicles that will be charged with solar power, which is intense, can even provide support with the right configuration, rather than damaging our electricity infrastructure”.

The importance of the rapid structuring of legal legislation, infrastructure, and decision-control mechanisms was mentioned. He said, “in this regard, both universities and Chambers affiliated to the Union of Chambers of Turkish Cypriot Engineers and Architects are carrying out some studies”.

Prof. Dr. Abbasoğlu expressed that with the guidance and direction of the decision-makers in our country, the right steps should be clarified and added: “On our sunny island solar and eco-friendly stations should be placed in the correct locations and legislations containing the standards and determination of a policy on this issue are the steps that need to be taken urgently”.