Why People Choose Electric Cars - Research Paper Example

Introduction In the present world, car is of critical importance in any individual’s life. “Since the invention of the first steam powered car in 1672, cars have come a long way to become an integral part of our lives” (Naik, 2010). A car provides various significant benefits to the people such as transportation of passengers from one place to another, convenience, mobility, and improved social status. Owning a car not only makes a person proud but also makes the person feel privileged among those people who do not own a car. There is not a single category of cars manufactured by the automobile manufacturing companies; rather they are categorized into many types based on mechanical specifications, shape, performance, and size. Any new model of a car brand includes some technical, mechanical, and technological enhancements, which make that specific model of car superior to earlier models. Apart from difference in brands, there also exist some differences in the types of cars. Some of the most renowned types include electric car, gasoline cars, and hybrid cars. All these types of cars have some advantages and disadvantages, which make the people switch from one car type to another. In this research paper, we will discuss those reasons that make people switch from gas cars to electric cars. Along with that, we will also take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of different types of cars which include gasoline cars, electric cars, and hybrid cars in order to get a better understanding of why people’s choice shifts from one car to another type of car. What are Electric Cars? An electric car is a vehicle that makes use of electric motors and batteries instead of engines used by the gasoline cars. The rechargeable batteries control the main parts of electric cars, which give power to the electric motors that run the cars. Until the advancement in the internal combustion engine, electric cars were the most popular cars in the whole world. People used to travel in electric cars because they were the most popular transport in the late 19th century and the earlier decades of the 20th century. When the car manufacturing companies introduced internal combustion engine and less expensive gasoline cars, the demand for electric cars decreased. Another factor, which proved to be a reason for the decrease in interest for electric cars, was the energy crises of late 1970s. In that era, it became very difficult for the automobile manufacturing companies to gain profits by manufacturing electric cars because of the decreased interest in electric cars, which had resulted due to the energy crises. The demand shifted from electric cars to gasoline and petrol cars because the prices of oil and petroleum were very low in that age as compared to today. However, electric cars have again started gaining popularity among the public not only due to various attractive features but also as the result of increased fuel prices all over the world. Today, those people who can have enough money to buy an electric car, do not want to buy gasoline cars. Some of the world’s most renowned car manufacturing companies such as Honda and Toyota are developing such cars, which are able to attract a large number of people towards electric cars. Features of Electric Cars A number of features make electric cars different from gasoline cars. Some of the most considerable features of electric cars include durability, convenience, much more efficiency as compared to gas engines, up to 500 hundred percent more efficiency than internal combustion engines, regenerative breaking system, and no emission production. There is no emission of fuels from electric cars because electric cars do not use gas at all for any purpose. “Once electricity is more commonly produced by water or wind, getting clean power to run electric cars will leave an even smaller carbon footprint” (Cultrona, n.d.). Compared to the internal combustion engines, electric cars provide up to three times more stored energy to the wheels. An electric car is also more quite, reliable, and consistent than the gasoline cars. The use of regenerative breaking system saves up to 30 percent of the energy, which is redirected back to the battery. These were some of the features, which make electric car an attractive choice for the consumers. Reasons that Make People Switch From Gas Cars to Electric Cars Due to increase in the prices of oil and petroleum, people have again developed their interest in using electric cars. If we talk about the reasons for using electric cars, we can say that there are various environmental and economic reasons, which have made people prefer electric cars for their personal use instead of gasoline cars. Some of the most prominent reasons include: Lower costs No pollutant emissions Consumption of Energy More reliability Less noise, and Reduced oil consumption. Let us discuss all of these factors in detail in order to know their role in changing the attitude of people towards electric cars. Lower Costs One of the major benefits of electric cars, which attract people towards them, is lower operating and maintenance costs as compared to gasoline cars. Parts of electric cars are easily replaceable because they are not very complex as far as their assembly is concerned. However, in case of gasoline cars, assembly or repair of parts is very difficult because hundreds of small parts combine to form one major part such as engine. Electric cars generally have fewer problems related to their operating mechanisms. There are no complex systems in the electric cars, which can raise the level of complexity of car maintenance. Even though purchasing cost of electric cars is somewhat higher as compared to gasoline cars, but ease of maintenance, reliability, and consistency are those features, which give electric cars an edge over their competitors. Electric cars do not put extra burden of maintenance cost on the buyers. The major part, which needs to be taken care off, is the battery of the car because battery is the main force that runs an electric car. The main reason behind expensiveness of electric cars is their batteries. The higher cost of newer battery technologies and lack of mass manufacturing of the car components play a major role in increasing the price of an electric car (Soliday, 2010). Some electric cars use highly priced lithium-ion batteries. The lithium-ion batteries are so much powerful that they can run the car approximately 200 miles per charge. Tesla Roadster is an example of electric cars, which uses lithium-ion battery that makes the car run up to 245 miles per charge, which is really a good mileage. Only a few cents per mile to drive is one of the greatest advantages of owning an electric car. However, where electric cars are becoming popular day by day, the high price is playing the role of an obstacle for electric cars. People belonging to the United States of America and the United Kingdom do not like to pay extra price for electric cars and that is the main reason behind no mass transition to electric cars. Consumption of Energy Electric cars use all of their energy in driving the car as compared to gasoline cars, which waste two-third of fuel and use the rest. “Electric cars use energy more efficiently than gas powered cars” (Soliday, 2010). Researchers have found that a gasoline car makes use of only $0.33 of every $1.00 fuel that a car owner puts in the car. This is really a very less use of fuel as compared to electric cars, which use almost entire energy in driving the car towards the destination. The process of extracting energy from burning gasoline and then converting the extracted energy into mechanical energy is not very efficient in case of gasoline cars. Electric cars are much more efficient than gasoline cars in making use of energy needed to turn the wheels of a car. Therefore, the efficient use of energy is also a factor behind increased interest of the public in using electric cars. No Pollutant Emission Environment friendliness is one of the greatest attractions of an electric car. Brain (n.d.) asserts, “Electric cars create less pollution than gasoline-powered cars, so they are an environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles”. Electric cars do not emit any pollutant that can harm the environment, whereas gasoline cars emit a lot of dangerous pollutants into the environment making the environment harmful for humans and other creatures. “EVs emit no pollutant from the tailpipe, so they’re cleaner for the environment and better for everyone’s respiratory health” (“Benefits Of Evs”, 2010). Pollution in the environment is a big issue these days for all countries of the world and diesel and gasoline cars are the real contributors towards this pollution. It is not only the responsibility of the car manufacturing companies to manufacture environment friendly cars but also the people should take the responsibility to secure the environment of the earth. That is the reason why people have shifted their choice from gasoline and diesel cars to electric cars. The engines of gasoline cars cannot work without oil and when the cars emit the used oil in the air, it harms the environment whereas in case of electric cars, there is no use of oils. We cannot say that electric cars have zero environmental impacts; however, the impact is very less as compared to the gas powered rigs. The only source of negative environmental impact of electric cars is the production of electricity from coal fiber power plants but even that impact is considerably less as compared to the harmful impact made by the engines of gasoline cars. Therefore, we can say that no pollutant emission is one of the main benefits of an electric car, which is making people prefer electric cars instead of gasoline cars. More Reliability Another reason behind shift of the public’s interest from gasoline cars to electric cars is increased reliability. Electric cars are much more reliable and dependable as compared to gasoline cars and they hardly create any problem for the car owners. The only part of an electric car, which the car owners need to change or repair occasionally, is the battery. No other part creates any sort of problem for the owners. Even the battery needs to be changed once in two to three years depending on the condition of the battery. Electric cars make use of very reliable electric motors instead of engines. The electric motors do not create problems for the car owners whereas the engines of gasoline cars put a great financial burden on the car owners once a fault occurs. An engine of electric motor having five moving parts and an engine of a gasoline car having hundreds of moving parts definitely cause some difference as far as complexity and reliability is concerned. Soliday (2010) asserts, “Engine repairs are almost not existent since electric motors are very reliable and long lasting”. Even if a motor gets older, it just requires some work on the motor’s brushes and the motor gets perfect for use again, whereas in case of gasoline engines, repair work not only requires more time as compared to motors but also the repair is much more expensive and somewhat unreliable. Therefore, reliability of parts of an electric car makes it a good choice for most of the people all over the world. Quietness of Electric Cars Another benefit, which attracts a lot of people towards electric cars, is their quietness. Electric cars are very quite as compared to gasoline cars. “When you drive an electric car, often the only thing that clues you in to its true nature is the fact that it is nearly silent” (Barin, n.d.). Electric cars generate a very low sound while running whereas in case of gasoline cars, different sounds occur as a result of different mechanical faults. For example, a fault or breakage in silencer creates sound. Similarly, a fault in the crank of an engine creates a loud noise when the car is driven. However, in case of electric cars, there is no such sound because of nonexistence of any of such parts. Consumers like to use a car with less sound because sound of a car not only irritates the driver but also the public. Therefore, we can say that quietness is one of the great factors behind increased interest of public in electric cars. Overnight Charging Another benefit of electric cars is that of overnight charging. The owners of electric cars usually recharge their cars’ batteries at night because at that point of time, the demand for electricity is relatively low. A benefit of overnight charging is that it does not create a problem of fuel shortage for the car owners because electricity is available at all recharge facilities and the car owners do not face any problem in recharging the batteries. Lower Overall Emissions Lower overall emission is another reason why people have started to shift their interest from gasoline cars to electric cars. “The overall emissions associated with using EVs are typically far less than the emissions from their combustion-powered counterparts” (“Benefits Of EVs”, 2010). In the gasoline cars, the fuel emission rate is considerably higher as compared to electric cars, which poses a great threat to the environment. Electric cars are not only environment friendly in nature but also they turn out to be a great help for the American government in terms of reducing the demand for oil. “Choosing EVs instead of combustion powered vehicles contributes to reduced dumping of engine oils into the environment and reduced U.S reliance on foreign oil” (“Benefits Of EVs”, 2010). The price of foreign oil has been significantly increased since 1990, which has resulted in creating economic problems for the whole world. Not all people can afford gasoline cars because of increased fuel rates all over the world. “People prefer this type of motors because it will save them a lot of money they pay for gas” (Altaf, 2010). In the United States of America, a person runs a car 30 to 40 miles daily on average, which is not a long distance. Therefore, people have started to choose electric cars for their personal use because electric cars not only rely on electricity instead of oil but also cut down the maintenance costs. Style and Features of Newer Models Some newer models of electric cars such as Tesla Roadster, BMW Mini-E, Fisker Karma, and Chevrolet Volt are very stylish and contain special features, which attract a large number of people. These models of electric cars are more stylish and attractive as compared to older models. “Electric cars typically have not offered all of the stylish and convenient perks that some gasoline powered cars do, but newer electric models continue to increase the amount of features available” (Vaughan, 2010). Tesla Roadster is an example of electric cars, which is not only stylish, but also it is a very quick car. Roadster has the ability to reach the top speed of 135 miles per hour with the first 60 miles acceleration of just under 4 seconds. This electric car includes all cool features of a gasoline car such as AC, ABS brake system, navigation system, cruise control, security alarm, and air bags. Here one thing, which needs to be mentioned, is that style and attractive features are not the only attractions of electric cars, rather all other elements that we have discussed earlier play critical role in making people choose electric cars. Some Negative Points Related To Electric Cars Apart from the benefits of owning an electric car, there also exist some negative points regarding these types of cars. Some of those points include limited range, long time to recharge the battery, expensiveness, and onboard energy storage. Let us discuss these issues in detail in order to know whether these drawbacks overshadow the benefits of electric cars or not. Limited Range Limited range is one of the most considerable issues regarding electric cars. At present most of the electric cars go only up to 100 miles per charge, which is really very less mileage as compared to gasoline cars. The average cost of electricity is 7 cents per kilowatt-hour. An average electric car costs about 4 to 5 cents per mile but its limited range overshadows the running cost. People like such cars, which can give them good mileage because no one wants to give extra time on charging the battery. At present, a person who can afford gasoline cars do not like to spend his money to buy an electric car and then give it a long time to recharge once the charging ends. Automobile manufacturers need to solve this issue in order to make electric cars more attractive to the public. Although, engineers have developed high mileage batteries like lithium-ion battery but that is very expensive as compared to low mileage batteries. Tesla Roadster is an example of electric cars, which makes use of lithium-ion battery and gives mileage of up to 245 miles per charge. However, not all batteries give such mileage. Engineers need to develop low cost and high mileage batteries in order to compete with gasoline cars in an effective manner. Long Time to Recharge the Battery Another disadvantage of having an electric car is that the time needed to recharge the battery is very long. An average electric vehicle takes up to 12 hours for recharge. It is really a long time and no one can spare 12 hours to recharge the battery of the electric car. Some batteries need one to two hours for recharge but again, those batteries are very expensive and a normal person cannot buy those batteries. Another issue is that there are not enough charging stations in the United States of America and charging needs to be done overnight because of electricity issues. At night, the demand for electricity is generally less and people have to wait for night to recharge their batteries from the charge stations. If we compare the time taken to refill a gas tank and the time required to recharge an electric car’s battery, we come to know that there is a huge difference in the timings of the two. A gas tank takes a couple of minutes to refill whereas a battery requires hours for its recharge. Therefore, we can say that the time taken by a battery to recharge is very long as compared to the time taken to refill the gas tanks and that long duration makes electric car not a good choice for the busy people. Automobile engineers need to find out some effective techniques to reduce the recharge time in order to make electric cars attractive for the consumers. Expensiveness Expensiveness is also a big drawback of electric cars. Electric cars are normally sold for $30,000 to $70,000, which is a big amount to pay for a car. A normal person with a low income cannot even dream to buy an expensive car for daily use. The price depends on different features of electric cars including type of the battery fitted in the car. Some electric car batteries are very expensive which add up to the overall cost of the cars. Automobile manufacturing companies need to cut down the costs of electric cars in order to make them affordable for a normal income consumer. Onboard Energy Storage Onboard energy storage is also a drawback associated with electric cars. Some batteries are extremely heavier which also affect the performance of the electric vehicles. Storing the energy to run the car is although useful, but it adds to the weight of a car affecting the overall performance of the car. These were some of the main drawbacks of electric cars. However, these disadvantages or drawbacks cannot overshadow the advantages, which come with electric cars. The increased efficiency, durability, quietness, and lower maintenance costs are some of those benefits, which are able to attract a large number of people towards electric cars. Difference between Electric Cars and Hybrid Cars Having discussed different advantages and disadvantages of owning an electric car and the reasons that are making people shift their interest from gasoline cars to electric cars, let us now discuss the differences that exit between hybrid cars and electric cars. Usage of Electricity One of the main differences between hybrid and electric cars is related to the use of electricity. Smith (2010) states, “Electric cars are totally electric, meaning that they must be plugged in and charged, and that the range of the car is only as far as the charge”. Electric cars use only electric batteries in order to run the cars whereas hybrid cars use a gas engine along with rechargeable batteries to send the required energy to the wheels of the cars. “A hybrid car is a car powered by two separate sources: an electric motor and a traditional gas engine” (Red, 2010). The electric motor and gas engine has different purposes. “The car will switch between gasoline and battery power as it sees fit” (Foster, n.d.). When driver of a hybrid car drives around the town, the car runs on the stored electricity, which is there in the batteries, whereas the gas engine starts working when the driver wants to run the car at sustained high speeds. Refueling and Recharging As far as refueling and recharging are concerned, the rechargeable batteries power an electric car, whereas in case of hybrid cars, traditional gas is put into the gas engine to give power to the car. Electric cars have no concern with the use of gas or other fuels and thus they are very much environment friendly whereas hybrid cars emit a small amount of toxic fumes into the environment. Smith (2010) asserts, “Although most hybrids are low polluting, they do add to the overall emissions load created by gas-powered cars”. An echo friendly consumer prefers to use electric car whereas a consumer who demands echo friendliness as well as good mileage, goes for a hybrid car such as Toyota Prius or Honda Insight. Another difference between hybrid cars and electric cars is that the batteries of hybrid cars have the tendency to be recharged while the car owner drives the car, whereas electric cars need electric stations for their batteries to be recharged. Comfort and Energy Consumption Another difference between hybrid and electric cars is related to comfort and energy consumption. Less energy consumption is one of the most incredible plus points of both hybrid and electric cars. Both types of cars use less energy as compared to gasoline cars. As fas as mileage is concerned, hybrid cars give a better mileage as compared to electric cars because hybrid cars make use of a gas engine along with motor energy to run the car. The style, comfort, and safety factors are almost the same for both types of cars. Some examples of the most stylish hybrid cars include Toyota Camry Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, and Honda Civic Hybrid. The style and comfort of the latest models of electric cars such as Tesla Roadster, Chevrolet Volt, and BMW Mini-E is also not less than hybrids. Difference in Speed, Size, and Price Electric and hybrid cars are different from each other also in terms of speed, size, and price. As far as speed is concerned, most of the electric cars run up to 60 to 70 miles per hour on average, whereas hybrid cars run much faster than that. The reason behind increase in the speed of hybrid cars is use of gas engines. Hybrid cars make use of gas engines to accelerate the speed. If we talk about size of the electric and hybrid cars, we come to know that electric cars are somewhat smaller than hybrid cars. The reason is that the motor of an electric car is not powerful enough to drive a heavy car. So, in order to run the car efficiently, car manufacturing companies manufacture lightweight cars because they can run be run easily by the electric motors. Conclusion Summing it up, an electric car is a vehicle that makes use of electric motors and batteries instead of gas engines. A number of features make electric cars different from gasoline cars, such as increased reliability, convenience, increased efficiency, regenerative breaking system, and no emission production. People have started to develop their interest in electric cars not only due to the increase in prices of oil and petroleum but also due to various considerable features of electric cars such as lower maintenance costs, echo friendliness, and quietness. Along with various benefits, there also exist some drawbacks of electric cars. Some of those drawbacks include limited range, long time to recharge, and expensiveness. The automobile engineers need to remove those drawbacks in order to make electric cars more attractive for the consumers. References Altaf, H. (2010). Electric Car Motor – Why people Prefer Electric Motors. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Electric-Car-Motor---Why-People-Prefer-Electric-Motors&id=3728039 Benefits of Electric Vehicles (2010). Retrieved from http://www.sdge.com/environment/evBenefits.shtml Brain, M. (n.d.). How Electric Cars Work. Retrieved from http://www.howstuffworks.com/electric-car.htm Cultrona, R. (n.d.). The Pro and Cons of Electric Cars. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5402145_pro-cons-electric-cars.html Foster, N. (n.d.). What is a Hybrid Car?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-hybrid-car.htm Naik, A. (2010). Types of Cars. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-cars.html Red, J. (2010). Difference Between Hybrid & Electric Cars. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_7241920_difference-between-hybrid-electric-cars.html#ixzz1EQwnWbpw Smith, S. (2010). What is the Difference Between Electric Cars and Hybrid Cars?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-electric-cars-and-hybrid-cars.htm Soliday, S. (2010). Advantages of Electric Cars. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Advantages-of-Electric-Cars&id=4380228 Vaughan, B. (2010). Gasoline Cars Vs. Electric Cars: Which Is Better?. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5886879_gasoline-vs_-electric-cars_-better_.html Read More