the pros and cons of electric cars

2018-04-18 05:53:00
knowledge

Even though modern electric cars represent the latest trend in the automotive industry, the patent is in fact quite old. The first electric vehicles were produced in the early 20th century but very soon, manufacturers hit the dead end of development because technology needed to produce bigger and more powerful batteries wasn’t ready and available in any form. Everybody turned to gasoline engines and electric cars soon disappeared. Fast forward more than a hundred years and today we have an electric car renaissance but this time with far better technology, construction and more capable batteries. It looks like electric cars are here to stay and conventional gasoline powered vehicles are on their way out. However, are electric cars all that great and what are their advantages and disadvantages? Let‘s find out.

The fuel

Obviously, electric cars don‘t need fossil fuels to operate and use the electric energy. However, limited ranges of electric cars suggest that you can use them only in relative proximity of charging stations. Despite the fact that there are new charging points every day, the number of charging stations is just a small fraction of the number of gas stations all over the world. This can limit the use of an electric vehicle to only urban areas or major highways. Most current electric cars have the range of around 300 miles, less if driven in city traffic, so traveling long distance requires some planning. Also, electric cars need significantly more time to recharge compared to only a few minutes you need to fill your tank. The limited range is the most annoying aspect of owning a fully electric vehicle because it is only about 1Ǚ of the range of most gasoline or diesel vehicles, and that is a definitive disadvantage.

Performance

Hard core gasoline fans could be offended but modern electric cars are amazingly capable machines in terms of performance, especially when it comes to acceleration times. Even the smallest and cheapest electric cars are capable of outrunning their gasoline counterparts and luxury electric models like Tesla Model S or similar can post 0 to 60 mph times better than most supercars. So, how come electric cars possess such performance potential? The answer is simple - their torque. Gasoline powered cars needs to rev in order to achieve maximum torque which means that they need some time before they reach full power. During acceleration runs, gasoline powered cars lose a lot of time in shifting and revving, which affects the performance. On the other hand, an electric motor is capable of delivering its full torque figure from the moment you press the accelerator pedal which means there is no delay and torque could be sent to the wheels in split second. Also, electric cars are always equipped with computer controlled automatic gearboxes designed to maximize performance and deliver every bit of power to the road. Strong, locomotive-like acceleration, combined with no engine sounds makes driving an electric car a pretty unique experience and definitely is one of the biggest advantages.

Ecology

For environmentally conscious drivers, electric cars are the only solution to rising problem of urban pollution and global warming. Fully electric cars have no emissions and on first glance, they are perfectly environmentally friendly. But, this is not totally true. The cars themselves are not polluting the planet but the process of their making is. In fact, the production of lithium-ion batteries, which are basis for all modern electric cars, is an extremely dirty process and high demand for electric vehicles could result in even worse pollution on global scale. Besides that, rising number of electric cars will demand more electricity which, in most cases, comes from nuclear or thermal power plants and not from sustainable power sources. At the end, those lithium-ion batteries are tough things to dispose of and recycling solutions are very limited which means that electric cars are not as environmentally friendly as you originally thought. Zero emissions they are producing is certainly an advantage but it isn’t the whole story and electric car industry has a lot to do in order to be truly green and environmentally safe.

The price

Despite the growing number of electric cars on offer, the prices are still significantly above those of comparable gasoline powered models. The advanced technology, complicated and demanding production methods and innovative components dictate higher prices, often, above the reach of an average consumer. This is expected since every innovation is followed with a high price tag but we can expect that electric car will become regular street décor which will lower the prices and make them more affordable. Higher prices are often explained by no fuel costs and cheaper service intervals. Remember, that there is no regular maintenance as you would have on a gasoline powered car. There are no oil changes, repairs, broken camshafts or rotten exhaust pipes. In most cases, a dealer can repair an electric car with a laptop and nothing more. In most European countries, there are significant tax deductions, free registration and insurance policies for owners who decide to buy electric vehicles. Having all that in mind, you can save big when you drive anelectric car but still you need have to pay extra for the privilege.

Conclusion:

Despite the fact that electric cars are still somewhat of a novelty piece, their performance, technology and advanced driving dynamics suggest that the era of fossil fuels is slowly passing. Of course, electric cars are not perfect and not even that much environmentally friendly as most people think, but they have enormous potential which certainly should be explored. If, or to say it better, when the industry figures out how to make electric cars’ range comparable to modern gasoline powered vehicles and number of charging stations rival the number of petrol stations, we would have a hard time convincing you to keep your gas powered vehicle.