The Electric and the Gasoline Cars and the Environment - Essay Example

?Negative Effects of Electric Cars and Gas Cars It is arguably true that both electric and gas cars have adverse effects on the environment and health of living things. This is in form of the emission that both types of cars unleash to the environment. In most cases, emission from the cars pollute the air leading to air pollution that further traverses to water sources and land. Most significantly is the fact that the emissions causing negative effects when inhaled directly into the human systems. The emission contain chemical particles that include ozone, water, unburned hydrogen carbon, Nitrogen Dioxide , and The chemical makeup of emissions includes unburned, carbon monoxide, Water, Ozone, and Particulate Matter (United States, Office of Technology Assessment, Congress 99-101). Ozone O3 causes global warming, breathing difficulties, chest pains, lung tissue damage, and coughing. Particulate Matter may cause asthma, coughs, lung damage, heart attacks, cancer, and premature death in extreme cases. Unburned hydrogen carbon may cause cancer and while reacted with nitrogen oxides it causes the ozone. Nitrogen oxide causes lung irritation and lung damage. Subject to these effects, it is quite clear that both electric and gas cars have adverse effects on the environment and our health (Natural Gas 1). However, quantifying which type of car harbors the most significant effects is a tall order. Nevertheless, the source of electricity in an electric car clearly defines the amount of pollution created by an electric car. Hence, the source of electricity and location of deployment determines the level of pollution between the electric and gas cars. Where the source of electricity is clean, little pollution comes to place while an unclean source leads to more pollution from a gas vehicle. Hydroelectric power is a clean source of electric power while coal or oil is unclean sources of electricity (Wilkins 1). However, major sources of electricity are neither clean nor unclean thus the challenge of gauging the level of pollution. At the same time, both cars have merits that may outweigh the pollution they cause. Nevertheless, all factors considered, electric vehicles have a great potential to pollute much less than internal combustion engine vehicles. However, when the application of electric cars is in totality, they pose a great risk to pollution than gasoline vehicles. As such, there have been many studies to ascertain the actual position of pollution while comparing the electric and gasoline vehicles. This paper will seek to establish the most efficient car by comparing their negative affects to the environment and health of persons. In achieving this, the paper will address various aspects relating to both cars. In conclusion, the paper will compare the two cars with a hybrid car and deduce which is better. Fuel consumption price of the cars One of the factors that will help us to analyze the negative effects of electric and gas car is their fuel consumption and by extension their fuel consumption cost. In the year 2011, about one third of the total petroleum imports went to the transport industry (U.S. Department of Energy 1). It is factual that gasoline cars consume more petrol or diesel than the electric cars (United States Environmental Protection Agency 1). At the same time, in the US the cost of electricity varies in wide dimension to the cost of gasoline. As such, the cost of fuel consumption varies from the gas to the electric car. This cost also varies from one state to another where charges 8 cents per kilowatt-hour while Hawaii charges 36 cents per kilowatt-hour. The electric car's energy consumption rate is in kWh per 100 miles (kWh/100m) where one needs to multiply the recorded figure by the relevant electric rate to get the cost per 100 miles. Various utility companies set the cost of electricity depending on the time of use and level of use. Indeed, the consumption cost of either a gas or electric car will equally depend on the make of the car. Overall, there is an approximate 30% fuel consumption cost difference per kilometer between the electric and gasoline cars. Hence an ordinary difference in pricing. Additionally, the cost of charging a battery is far much lower than that of filling the tank of a gasoline car. Factors such as radio, cassette, woofers, and other electronic components take energy from electric car battery (Westbrook 60-65). This depletes the battery survival rate. As such, the lifespan of an electric car battery depends on the charge derived from it (Anderson 16-18). When its lifespan ends, there is need to dispose it and this disposal may result to pollution of the environment and subsequent health demerits. Most significantly, it is quite clear that gasoline cars possess many gadgets that draw power from the battery while as electric cars have few gadgets except for the wiring (Lindberg 1). Hence, the battery of a gasoline car is more likely to complete its lifespan earlier than that of an electric car. Indeed, the lifespan of a battery spreads to a period of less than four years. Therefore, a gasoline car will contribute to the negative health and environmental effects in a big way as compared to the electric car in relation to battery life. More so, an electric motor powers an electric car while a petrol/diesel engine powers the gasoline car. As such, the gasoline car largely relies on fuel as compared to the electric car and thus more likely to cause negative effects on the environment via its emissions. Emissions and Waste from the Cars Both the electric and the gasoline cars emit gaseous wastes to the environment that poses a great to the environment and human health. As such what matters in comparing the two is the quantity of emissions, that each can potentially unleash to the environment. The emission contain chemical particles that include ozone, water, unburned hydrogen carbon, Nitrogen Dioxide , and The chemical makeup of emissions includes unburned carbon monoxide, Water, Ozone, and Fine Particulate Matter (Sayeg 32-34). Most significantly, the electric vehicles emit no tailpipe pollutants to the air (U.S. Department of Energy 1). However, the source of the electricity that runs an electric car may equally emit these chemical pollutants to the air thus leading to air pollution. As such, from this perspective of the emissions that reach the environment from the two cars, it is quite clear that gasoline cars pose a great risk to the environment than the electric cars. Indeed, these emissions cause adverse effects to the environment and health of humans. Lifetime Expectancy of the Cars The life expectancy of the two cars is also a point of consideration in accessing the better option as far as their negative effects to the environment are concerned. Electric cars entail electrical components only that are easier to repair and maintain. On the other hand, gasoline cars entail many bulky components that are hard to repair and maintain. Indeed, an electric car has performance benefits and relevantly requires less maintenance than the gasoline cars. As such, the lifetime expectancy of an electric car is higher than that of a gasoline car. The challenge posed to repairing a gasoline car contributes to environment pollution, as the scrap parts are a threat to the environment. Hence, to this end, gasoline cars have more adverse effects to the environment and human health than electric cars. Disposal of the Cars The disposal of the two cars is also a major factor to the negative effects they cause to the environment and the health. The mode of disposing the gasoline car with its bulky components poses a risk to the environment. This is so because some of these components are not recyclable ad cannot decompose hence pollute the environment. On the other hand, the disposal of the electric car is more convenient since most of its components are recyclable. As such, to this extent, the gasoline car poses a higher risk to the environment and human health than the electric car. Time for Refueling and Charging The frequency of refueling or charging the cars is also a point of consideration. Most electric cars have a driving range of about 100–200 miles before recharging while a gasoline car have a driving range of approximately 300 miles before refueling (U.S. Department of Energy 1). More significantly, electric cars power their wheels from a 75% conversion of chemical energy from the batteries while only 20% of gasoline energy combusts (U.S. Department of Energy 1). Because of this, we can assert that the 80% of non-combusted gasoline passes to the environment as a pollutant and only 20% of chemical energy passes to the environment as a pollutant. Therefore, in relation to this, gasoline cars pose a greater risk to the environment and human health than electric cars. Overall Price of the Cars The overall price of either of the two cars affects the customer’s decision and by extension the negative environmental and health effects resulting from the choice of the car. The initial cost of an electric car is higher than that of a gasoline car. However, the maintenance of an electric car is much lower than that of a gasoline car. As such, the electric car stands out at the long run. Comparison to Hybrid Cars There is a greater need to combine electricity and gasoline to power a hybrid car. A hybrid car has increased fuel efficiency and lower oil dependence (Lindsay 23). Such, a car would reduce the negative effects that both the electric and gasoline cars pose to the environment and human health. Actually, Hybrid cars consume less fuel than both the electric and gasoline cars since they use electric-drive technologies to enhance their performance and efficiency. This leads to better fuel economy and subsequent lower fuel costs. Indeed, an average hybrid car has a fuel economy of about 44 miles per gallon that is much higher to 32 miles per gallon possessed by conventional cars. However, this notion is not universal in all hybrid cars as others choose to boost their engine power as compared to efficiency hence the fuel consumption rate remains the same. Its refueling is less frequent, has a higher life expectancy, and its disposal poses less risk to the environment (Lindsay 40). Due the attached advantages, the overall price of a hybrid car is much higher than that of conventional vehicles. Indeed, its price correlates with its size and capacity of the battery. Moreover, the hybrid car has reduced emissions as compared to both the electric and the gasoline cars (Lindsay 10). As a result, a hybrid car is far much better than a gasoline and an electric car. Conclusion Both the electric and the gasoline cars have far-reaching effects on the environment and human health. However, subject to the points listed herein, it is clear that a gasoline car has more negative effects on the environment and human health than the electric car. Moreover, when compared to the hybrid car, the hybrid car stands out. Indeed, the hybrid car combines electricity and gasoline to enhance efficiency and save fuel. As such, the hybrid car contributes fewer emissions to the environment and is highly efficient. Therefore, it has less negative effects to the environment and human health. Thus, I conclude that although the hybrid car is more expensive than conventional cars, it has many significant benefits over the others. Hence, the hybrid car is better. Works Cited Anderson, Curtis and Anderson, Judy. Electric and Hybrid Cars: A History. New York: McFarland, 2010. Print. Lindberg, Max. Are Plug-Ins and Electric Cars A Health Hazard? Web 31, May 2012. < http://gas2.org/2008/04/29/do-plug-ins-and-electric-cars-present-a-health-hazard-due-to-electromagnetic-fields-serbian-born-nicholas-tesla-might-have-known/> Lindsay, Stephen. Hybrid Cars why Bother? London: Digital Kindle, n.y Print. Natural Gas. Natural Gas and the Environment. Web 31, May 2012, < http://www.naturalgas.org/environment/naturalgas.asp> Sayeg, Philip. Successful Conversion to Unleaded Gasoline in Thailand, Volumes 23-410. London: World Bank Publications, 1998. Print. U.S. Department of Energy. Benefits and Considerations of Electricity as a Vehicle Fuel. Web 31, May 2012. < http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/electricity_benefits.html> U.S. Department of Energy. Electric Vehicles. Web 31, May 2012. < http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/evtech.shtml> United States Environmental Protection Agency. Electric Vehicles - Learn More About the New Label. Web 31, May 2012. < http://www.epa.gov/otaq/carlabel/electriclabelreadmore.htm> United States, Office of Technology Assessment, Congress. Replacing gasoline: alternative fuels for light-duty vehicles. London: DIANE Publishing, n.y Print. Westbrook, Michael. The Electric Car: Development and Future of Battery, Hybrid and Fuel-Cell Cars. London: IET, 2001. Print. Wilkins. Will Electric Vehicles Really Reduce Pollution? Web 31, May 2012. < http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/writing/Samples/policy/voytishlong.html> Read More