Prospects of Electric Vehicles - Research Paper Example

? Electrical cars Summary The research will show some reasons why people tend not to use electrical cars. Some of these reasons include cost, reduced range, weak batteries, and lack of power. It will also present the solutions to make people use them. Introduction Over the last century, cars have become the primary means of transport across the world. In addition, they also act as icons of culture and wealth in various countries. The vast use of cars has resulted in trillions of dollars being invested in the refueling infrastructures, with billions barrels of gasoline being supplied each day across the world. It is estimated that more than one third of the total energy such as natural gas, diesel, and gasoline in the world goes to driving automobiles. Today, auto industries are in the toe-tip of enhancing transition into electrical cars. This is because of several forces that limit growth of the oil industry and automotive businesses. These limiting factors have made engineers implement varieties of propulsive systems that require other forms of energy instead of oil. General Motors has, therefore, come up with very promising configuration of battery electric vehicles (BEV) to supplement combustion engine. An electric car is an automobile design that uses electrical motor to power the car with electricity provided by the batteries. Batteries used in these cars have varying designs with lead-acid and lithium ion sillier as compared to the ones used in mobile phones and laptops. Evolution of electric vehicles has been met to address depression of fuel resources and prevention of air pollution. Emission of harmful hydrocarbons has been a major global issue that has mitigated car manufacturers to invent and adopt less harmful machineries. In addition, over the years there has been an increase in awareness among people across the world to adopt eco-friendly means by going green due to the recent dangers of global warming. Electric vehicles have, therefore, been the potential option to save the world from harmful gases emitted by petroleum driven cars. These modes of cars have taken a long journey since 1996 when General Motors produced the first modern electric car in the world. The recent electric cars that have been introduced are Chevrolet Volt, Tesla Roadster, and Nissan Leaf. These cars have made a very great stride in the current technology and acceptance of the consumers. This is because they have been considered as a major step of reducing dependency on petroleum products, protecting the environment, and improving sustainability of transport across the world (Eberhard & Tarpenning, 2006). It is estimated that electric cars can cover a distance of 100 miles per hour, which makes them the fastest cars in the world. This has given these cars higher popularity and sales in various countries like the United States and United Kingdom. In 2011, sale of electric cars in the United States has risen to about 350 thousand units. Many customers purchased these cars so as to qualify for tax incentives that were imposed by federal governments on petroleum products during economy recession. Despite General Motors’ willingness to combat global warming, the company always faces a barrier of electrifying car industries due to the limited range of the electric cars. This barrier is mainly observed on the consumers’ side – they are afraid of getting stranded alongside roads with empty batteries (Haaren, 2011). Although there is great emphasis on protecting the environment through using environmental friendly cars, people need to be realistic about their benefits. This is because electric cars have very significant disadvantages that create limitation to their use and wide spread availability. In addition, these disadvantages give reasons why people tend not to use electrical vehicles across the world. The research in this paper, therefore, aims to provide insight on how General Motors should increase its interest in electrical cars by making electrical cars more fan, fixing the battery problems and increasing the range that electrical cars can travel. Reasons why people tend not to use electrical cars Although electrical cars are environmentally friendly, because they create zero emission of harmful gases, they also have limitations that make many people avoid using them. Electric cars have not spread in many countries and thus are not readily available in most parts of the world because of various shortcomings (Choi, 2009). Electric cars are expensive Buying an electric car is comparatively expensive compared to gasoline powered cars of the same range. It, therefore, turns out too expensive for many people to own these cars. In the current market, Nissan Leaf costs 33,000 dollars, while Chevrolet Volt has an estimation cost of 40,000 dollars. These are outrageous prices, which most people cannot afford, and this makes the electrical cars less dispersed in many countries. In addition, the lithium batteries used in running electric cars go for as high as 10,000 dollars, which is too expensive for many people (Choi, 2009). Besides the cost of purchasing these cars, their insurance rate is also higher compared to those of gas powered cars, because they are endangered to chances of running out of power at bad spots. They are also engaged into dangers associated with electricity, which makes their insurance premiums higher. Moreover, electric cars have higher maintenance cost compared to petroleum powered cars. This is because they are associated with new technologies and require newly developed skills from mechanics. The high cost of purchasing, maintaining, and paying insurance premiums makes electrical cars less available to many people. It is estimated that electrical cars are owned by less than 10 percent of people in the United States and UK due to their expensive nature (Haaren, 2011). Electrical cars have a reduced range Electrical cars do not suit the needs of drivers with passion of travelling long drives. They, therefore, create inconveniences for the drivers who need to have better plans and act accordingly before starting their long journeys. Since electric car batteries need recharging, they might end up letting drivers down during long travels in heavy traffic around big cities and metro. In most cases, distance for electric cars is set at 80 kilometers for a single charge. Any distance beyond this range will make the car run out of charge. In addition, Nissan Leaf has been claimed to cover a distance of 100 miles, while Chevrolet Volt covers a distance of 50 miles per single charge. These are small ranges, and this affects the comfort of daily and long distance commuters (Haaren, 2011). Road trips in electric cars can, therefore, turn into nightmares for drivers in case battery charge kicks off in areas with no place to recharge. Moreover, complete batteries recharging takes more than eight hours, creating transport inconveniences. Recently, General Motors has experienced fear of electrical cars’ drive distance range that needs to be addressed through increasing battery energy, battery density, and decreasing the time needed for the battery to recharge. This is to ensure the increase of distance range within single charge of the batteries (Eberhard & Tarpenning, 2006). Electric cars’ batteries need recharging and are not long lasting The other trouble with electric cars is that their batteries need recharging. Every time individuals use their cars, they need to provide their batteries with adequate time to recharge fully. This, therefore, requires advanced planning in order to ensure the batteries are fully changed to cover a specified distance. The nature of rechargeable batteries in these cars makes it problematic for unplanned trips if the driver has not had enough time to recharge the batteries. In addition, the batteries are not long lasting and take the duration of only 3-4 years for them to expire. Their inability to last long prevents people from purchasing these vehicles, because it is expensive to replace the batteries (Matthew-Wilson, 2010). Lack of power Lack of power is another problem that prevents people from acquiring electrical cars. This is because they are characterized with the inability to accelerate at a considerable speed. This is because the estimated speed among these cars is 70 mph, making them poor when driving along major highways. In addition, electrical cars are also weak when driven on a hilly course. This creates inconvenience during emergencies (Choi, 2009). Ways to increase the use of electronic cars The biggest concern for people with regard to electronic cars is limited range. Electric cars do not allow for long distance travelling. This has discouraged many Americans from adopting such a car, as long drives feature prominently as a hobby among American drivers. To solve this, General Motors should implement the plug-in hybrid electronic cars (PHEV) (Leitman, Brant, & Brant, 2009). This hybrid electronic car gives drivers a range-extension meaning – drivers can continue driving on gas power when the battery is exhausted. The PHEV can go for 40 miles on electronic mode and an additional 300 miles running on gas. Nevertheless, drivers are less likely to use gas, as research indicates that American drivers drive an average of 40 miles or less a day. Use of fossil fuels is limited to long journeys or cases when recharging units are not available (Leitman, Brant, & Brant, 2009). Secondly, in addition to charging unit placed at homes and workplaces, recharging posts should be placed in various locations across the country. This way it reduces the chances of a driver being stranded in the middle of the road because the battery ran out. The posts should be installed in retail outlets or service stations, which have access to commercial electricity infrastructure. Furthermore, these posts should be able to charge fast. Reducing the recharging time to 30 minutes to gain 80-mile range will motivate people to own electronic cars (POST, 2010). One of the factors contributing to high costs of electronic cars is the size of the battery. A bigger range requires a bigger battery, which is more expensive. The hybrid technology combining the battery and the fossil fuel increases efficiency of the car, thus reducing the size of the battery. Apart from the hybrid technology, regenerative breaking technology increases energy efficiencies (Leitman, Brant, & Brant, 2009). Regenerative breaking slows down the car while recharging the battery from the movement of the motor. Though this restores a third of the energy in the battery, it reduces the need for bigger batteries, thus reducing overall cost of the car. General Motors can also share battery costs with the consumer (Leitman, Brant, & Brant, 2009). Electronic cars require change of batteries every 5-10 years. Manufacturers can lease these batteries to drivers and then have them returned and used for recycling or energy storage. This reduces the initial cost of batteries, thus reducing the cost of the car (POST, 2010). Another way of reducing cost of the car is mass production of the electronic cars. The only way General Motors can achieve this is if the government offers some form of incentive. Federal grants and loans will provide General Motors with funds needed to manufacture the cars in large numbers, thus meeting the demand from the retailer and ultimately the customers. Subsidies of up to $7500 and an additional $5000 for charging stations will help reduce the cost of setting up the recharging post, making the EVs more accessible to the people (Messer, 2011). General Motors should also work with the government to introduce incentive for people using their electronic cars. The United States imports more than 55percent of their oil used in internal combustion engines. The use of electronic cars on the roads will reduce the amount of money used in importing oil and emission of pollutants to the environment. The government should introduce incentives such as discounts on parking. The cost of parking within the cities is extremely high for people using personal cars. Reducing this cost for people using electronic cars is likely to tilt the scale to the more extensive use of EVs instead of gasoline cars. Further, an advanced demonstration in different states should be set up, which will include around 500, 000 cars. When people get to understand how the cars function, they are more likely to accept them (Messer, 2011). Qualification for writing on the topic Writing about the increased use of electronic cars is influenced by the concern for the environment against global warming and the increased cost of fossil fuels. Electronic vehicles are referred to as zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), meaning they do not emit any toxic compounds into the atmosphere. In addition, the engines of the cars are very silent, which reduces noise pollution. The power plants used to generate power used in EVs are also held to higher standards, translating to lower toxic emissions compared to emissions in gasoline-powered vehicles. IC vehicles are considered as the least efficient devices in the world, as everything that goes in and comes out of the vehicle is toxic (Leitman, Brant, & Brant, 2009). The IC is related to problems such as green house effect with increased emission of carbon dioxide resulting in global warming. This is intensified by hundreds of millions of IC cars used on roads across the world. IC vehicles also depend on foreign oil, which leads to environmental degradation through excavation and a threat to national security. Toxic air pollution is also aggravated by IC vehicles by emission of such gases as carbon monoxide or nitrogen oxide, which leads to death and acidic rains that destroy plants and organic life. IC vehicles also lead to wastage of heat due to its inefficiency. In IC, only about 20 percent of the heat is used compared to the 80-90 percent of energy used in electronic cars (Leitman, Brant, & Brant, 2009). The price of fossil oils is also increasing. This is brought about by volatile oil prices on the international market, reducing domestic production and increasing domestic and world demand for oil. The cost of fueling a car in Britain, for example, ranges between ?10 and ?15 for a petrol car compared to that of recharging a car at only ?2. The price of fueling an IC car will be too high for the regular American, hence the need for the electronic car (Leitman, Brant, & Brant, 2009). The inefficiency of IC vehicles leads to wastage of the already scarce fossil fuels while contributing to environment degradation and pollution (Leitman, Brant, & Brant, 2009). This wastage is leading to the depletion of the already scarce resources and the increase in the price of gasoline. The increase in gas prices translates to a higher cost of living, as the increased cost of transportation is passed onto consumer products. EV, however, provide a solution to this with their zero emission technology and efficiency in energy consumption (POST, 2010). Conclusion Low range, high initial cost, and problems with the battery have made it hard for people to embrace electronic cars. Advances in technology used to make EV will help increase the range of the cars while reducing the price and size of the battery. This coupled with the help from the government in form of incentives both to the manufacturers and the consumers will increase chances of more people buying the EVs. This will in turn reduce environment degradation and pollution while eliminating the costs associated with owning IC vehicles. Annotated Bibliography Choi, J. (2009). Prospects of electric vehicles. Retrieved July 2, 2012, from www2.hmc.edu/~evans/PEVChoi.pdf In this article, Jeongwoo Choi focuses on the extravagant amount of energy used to drive automobiles each day across the world. According to the author, excessive use of energy will lead to its depletion in the next few centuries. He believes that the depletion of the sources of energy will affect the structure of transportation in the world. In an effort to address the depletion of gases and fossil fuels, people must embrace the use of alternative sources of energy such as electricity. Eberhard, M., & Tarpenning, M. ( 2006, October 6). The 21st century electric car. Retrieved July 2, 2012, from www.stanford.edu/group/greendorm/participate/.../TeslaReading.pdf This article by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning focuses on electrical cars as a type of technology that has zero degree emission of harmful gases in the atmosphere. According to the two authors, the invention of electrical cars will lead to reduction in the rate of pollution in the environment. In addition, they also indicate that lithium-ion batteries used in electrical cars are efficient, because they produce more energy to run the car. Sufficient energy from the batteries gives an astonishing performance to cars such as Tesla Roadster Haaren, R. V. ( 2011, December). Assessment of electric cars’ range requirements and usage patterns based on driving behavior recorded in the National Household Travel Survey of 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2012, from www.solarjourneyusa.com/HowFarWeDrive_v1.2.pdf This article reviews the use of cars in the current world as a means of transport. According to Rob van Haaren, advancement in the use of cars across the world has resulted in billions barrels of gas being used in the production of energy in the transport industry. This, on the other hand, led to the increase in the pollution due to the emission of poisonous gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. Accumulation of these gases in the atmosphere leads to global warming. In order to address these issues, General Motors should embark on invention of electrical cars that do not emit poisonous gases in the atmosphere. Leitman, S., Brant, B., & Brant, B. (2009). Build your own electric vehicle. New York: McGraw-Hill. Leitman provides a comprehensive how-to while looking at the advantages of electronic cars. He notes that electronic cars are not only fun and convenient but also, through technological advances such as reversal breaking and hybrid electronic models, could be the answer to environmental concern and increased prices of fossil fuels. The book has been used to qualify the writing on the topic in regard to environmental conservation. Matthew-Wilson, C. (2010). The emperor’s new car. Retrieved July 2, 2012, from www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/.../The-Emperors-New-Car.pdf This article by Clive Matthew-Wilson focuses on shortcomings of electrical cars that make few people use these kinds of cars across the world. The author indicates that, despite the General Motors’ willingness to combat global warming through the invention of electrical cars, there are various limitations that hinder the company. Some of the shortcomings are that these cars have reduced range and their batteries are not long-lasting and are expensive. Messer, J. D. (2011, may 14). Can electric vehicles take off? a roadmap to find the answer. Retrieved july 2, 2012, from environment 360: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/can_electric_vehicles_take_off_a_roadmap_to_find_the_ answer/2380/ Messer in this article notes that electronic cars are gaining popularity across the world but wonders at the potential of the car in the current markets. To find out, he suggests that a pilot demonstration project should be carried to show people how they stand to benefit from the car. This article has been used to suggest that a pilot project should be used to get people to use the electronic cars. Parliamentary House of Science and Technology. (2010). Eectronic cars. Retrieved july 2, 2012, from http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/postpn365_electricvehicles.pdf In this research, the Department of Science and Technology under the government of United Kingdom looks at the factors that have hindered acceptance of electronic cars. They include the cost of the battery, limited ranges, lack of recharging posts, and long recharging time. Remedies such as the mass production, hybrid technology, and pilot programs and government incentives are forwarded as possible solutions to the problem. The report also looks at the environmental benefits of using the electronic cars. This report has guided me in understanding how people stand to benefit through the use of electronic cars. References Choi, J. (2009). Prospects of electric vehicles. Retrieved July 2, 2012, from www2.hmc.edu/~evans/PEVChoi.pdf Eberhard, M., & Tarpenning, M. ( 2006, October 6). The 21st century electric car. Retrieved July 2, 2012, from www.stanford.edu/group/greendorm/participate/.../TeslaReading.pdf Haaren, R. V. ( 2011, December). Assessment of electric cars’ range requirements and usage patterns based on driving behavior recorded in the National Household Travel Survey of 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2012, from www.solarjourneyusa.com/HowFarWeDrive_v1.2.pdf Leitman, S., Brant, B., & Brant, B. (2009). Build your own electric vehicle. New York: McGraw-Hill. Matthew-Wilson, C. (2010). The emperor’s new car. Retrieved July 2, 2012, from www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/.../The-Emperors-New-Car.pdf Messer, J. D. (2011, May 14). Can electric vehicles take off?a roadmap to find the answer. Retrieved july 2, 2012, from environment 360: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/can_electric_vehicles_take_off_a_roadmap_to_find_the_ answer/2380/ Parliamentary House of Science and Technology. (2010). Electronic cars. Retrieved july 2, 2012 from http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/postpn365_electricvehicles.pdf Read More