In the past few decades, there has been an increasing amount of concern about our environment. Every day, more toxic chemicals are being released into the air, water is becoming more polluted, more land and sea creatures are dying due to our actions. If this continues, what will earth look like in ten years, fifty years, one hundred years? We have to find new ways to do things that help our environment instead of hurting it. One way we can begin to help our environment heal is to eliminate use of fossil fuels that create unhealthy emissions. A common example of this problem is cars. Almost everyone uses them everyday. Pollutants from cars harm our health. In addition, these pollutants contain greenhouse gasses, which are causing climate change. These are just two of the many ways that cars create problems for the environment. However, looking forward, we can create innovative solutions to our problems, such as electric cars. Switching to electric cars will help the environment by causing the pollutants released by burning gas and other fossil fuels to decrease, which will begin to decrease climate change as well.
The idea of electric cars was first introduced in 1980, when a chemist named William Morrison invented a six passenger vehicle powered by electricity. It could reach speeds up to fourteen miles per hour. Morrison’s invention encouraged others to pursue building more powerful, efficient electric vehicles. A few decades later, in 2008, the first electric Tesla, a two passenger sports car, The Roadster was released. Tesla has since become the most iconic brand for electric cars.
Currently, 6.8% of Americans own an electric vehicle. However, there are plans in place to switch over to using only electric cars by 2050.
Electric cars which produce zero tailgate emissions are much more energy efficient in comparison to cars that run on gasoline.
Electric cars require less maintenance than other cars, due to their less complex electric motors. Another benefit of the electric motors is that they are much quieter than the standard gasoline powered cars.
However, there are also several drawbacks to electric vehicles. One of the biggest ones is that there are a lot less charging stations for electric cars than gas stations. However, I don’t really foresee this continuing to be a problem in the future as we switch to using more and more electric cars.
Another drawback to electric cars is that they take longer to charge than it takes to fill a gasoline tank.
One additional drawback is that electric cars have a more expensive upfront cost when you purchase the vehicle. Electric cars tend to be around $10,000 more expensive than regular, gasoline powered cars.
One more thing to take into consideration is that currently, gas prices are quickly escalating, with many Americans paying well over $100 to fill their vehicle’s tank. On average, a car can go about 390 miles per tank. However, to charge an electric car, such as a Tesla, it generally costs between $8.28 and $14.40. A fully charged electric vehicle can normally travel about 354 miles before needing to be charged again. As you can see, even though electric vehicles have a greater upfront price when purchasing, it’s most likely to become worth it over time, because you will be paying a lot less to charge your car then you would be for gasoline.
As you can see, electric cars most likely will take on a great role in transportation in the coming years. It is important to remember that the future is what we make it. Let’s continue to find new ways to help heal our environment and create a brighter future for our planet.
Sources:
Progressive – Future Of Electric Cars
Nissan – Benefits Of Electric Cars
Energy.gov – Electric Cars History
Edmunds – Percentage of Electric Cars In US
Energy Sage – How Long Do Tesla Batteries Last
Solar Reviews – How Much It Costs To Charge A Tesla
Consumer Reports – Vehicles That Cost The Most To Gas Up
Ecology.was.gov – Reducing Car Pollution
