An Electric Car is an electric vehicle, which in all ways works and makes us feel like the usual cars, is just a car that runs using batteries, solar panels or other energy sources. With the increasing oil prices, the significance of electric cars cannot be ignored. The first practical electric cars were produced in the 1880s. Electric cars were popular in the late 19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engines, electric starters in particular, and mass production of cheaper petrol (gasoline) and diesel vehicles led to a decline in the use of electric drive vehicles.
During the 20th century, the electric car lost popularity. There are a number of reasons to explain the decrease of popularity. The invention of the automatic starter, the growing market of cheap fuel, mass production, and easier and faster fuelling. Soon, the fuel-powered cars using the latest Internal Combustion Engines had more advantages than the electric car. The electric car slowly disappeared.
Only after decades, the electric car was reintroduced when General Motors produced their first electric car. At first sight, the reintroduction of the electric car seemed a great success and in late 1990 it even created a real hype. People really believed the electric car could change the world.
From 2008, a renaissance in electric vehicle manufacturing occurred due to advances in batteries, and the desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve urban air quality. Several national and local governments have established government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles, tax credits, subsidies, and other incentives to promote the introduction and adoption in the mass market of new electric vehicles, often depending on battery size, their electric range and purchase price. The current maximum tax credit allowed by the US Government is US$7,500 per car. Compared with internal combustion engine cars, electric cars are quieter and have no tailpipe emissions and lower emissions in general. In January 2019 and updated in April, a Reuters analysis of 29 global automakers concluded that automakers are planning on spending $300 billion over the next 5 to 10 years on electric cars, with 45% of that investment projected to occur in China.
Charging an electric car can be done at a variety of charging stations, these charging stations can be installed in both houses and public areas. Tesla Model 3 was the world’s best selling EV from 2018 to 2019 and had a maximum electric range of 500 km (310 miles) according to the EPA. Model 3 became the world’s all-time best selling electric car by early 2020.
Advantages of Electric Cars –
The whole world is under the discussion of one single topic “Go Green”. With the exploited environment, overused resources, and unnecessarily wasted energy, the world is about to face a crisis. One of the innovations to avoid such a crisis and save the world from even more exploitation is “Electric Car”.
People realized they saved lots of money on their fuel costs and produced much less pollution by driving electric cars. They found it an encouraging thought that they contributed to a better climate while they were saving money as well. Contributing to a better climate is now one of the most important concerns in the world. We can’t avoid the fact that the climate is changing. We can find many advantages with an electric car:
- Better for the Environment – There are a ton of people who choose to purchase an electric vehicle solely because these vehicles are better for the environment than the alternatives. These cars do not contain an exhaust system at all, which means they aren’t creating emissions like other cars. Vehicles that are powered by gas are major contributors to the buildup of greenhouse gases, which stay in the earth’s atmosphere. As such, having an electric car helps keep air cleaner and the planet healthier.
- Electricity is Less Expensive than Gas – When we break everything down, the average American pays about 15 cents a mile to drive a gas-powered vehicle. This might seem negligible but that changes when you look at the cost to drive an electric car. Rather than 15 cents a mile, many electric cars run on five cents a mile due to the fact that electricity is largely less expensive than gasoline. Most people will also be charging their cars in the garage, which means installing a few solar panels can cut that price even further while offering savings on powering your entire home.
- Less Maintenance at a Lower Cost – With a gasoline-powered car, there’s a ton of maintenance. It starts with oil changes and only goes on from there. Electric cars don’t have oil and don’t require that maintenance task or others associated with a gas engine. Anything related to the combustion engine in a traditional car isn’t needed with an electric car. In addition, the brakes on electric vehicles tend to last longer. That only adds to the cost savings of choosing an electric car rather than one that uses gasoline. It all starts to add up when people begin to think about it.
- Electric Cars Tend to Be Quiet – Everyone who lives in an area with a busy street can attest to how loud cars can be during rush hour. Even smaller engines can make a racket. Electric vehicles, on the other hand, are nearly silent in nature. In fact, these cars can be so quiet that some United States legislators have suggested that these cars have noise-making devices installed to ensure that pedestrians know that a car is near them.
- Potential for Tax Credits – If we are thinking about purchasing a new electric vehicle, in many cases we will enjoy a tax credit for doing so. These credits are available because we are cutting down on our impact on the environment by choosing to buy a car that creates zero emissions. The credit varies based on the make and model of the car, but it can reach up to $7,500. We can speak with a tax specialist to learn more about any tax credits that might be available to us on the state or federal level.
In the last few years, the prices of oil have risen sharply. Oil is black gold, but the prices of oil are so high for a reason. Oil is one of the fossil fuels and these fossil fuels are limited. Oil is getting scarcer every day, and we will pay the price. Electricity is not a fossil fuel and therefore not limited. This makes electricity much cheaper than fuel. One of the biggest advantages of driving an electric car are the fuel costs.
Disadvantages of Electric Cars –
As we can see, there are tons of reasons to consider purchasing an electric vehicle. However, it’s important to be aware that there are also drawbacks to choosing an electric car. Make sure we read about and understand the cons before we choose to sign a contract and get insurance for our new car. Here are some things to know before we choose an electric car.
- Some EVs Have Short Ranges for Driving – The range we can get with an electric vehicle is something that is constantly improving, but it is still something that needs to be considered and may not be appropriate for those with longer commutes. It’s also one of the major issues that consumers have to think about when deciding between a conventional and electric car. Once our car is fully charged, many electric models can drive only 60 to 100 miles. However, some models offer somewhere between 200 and 300 miles after a full charge.
- Charging Can Take a Lot of Time – When we pull into a gas station and fill up the tank, it takes only a few minutes before we pay and drive off on our next adventure. An electric vehicle takes much longer to recharge, and the time investment and necessary planning do put some people off. Many electric cars can be full in around four hours, but some can take nearly a day to fully recharge. The good news is that there are some kits that can cut the charging time down. However, that is going to be an additional investment so consider that, too.
- The Initial Investment is Steep – If we haven’t spent any time shopping for EVs, we may be surprised when we take a look at the sticker price. There is a range of pricing for electric cars, but even the more affordable brands can be around $30,000 to $40,000. If we are looking for a luxury option, we may be paying $80,000 or even more. Technology is always advancing and the price to produce electric cars continues to drop, but we may end up paying $10,000 to $50,000 more for an EV than for a gas-powered car.
- Charging Stations Aren’t Available Everywhere – If we happen to live in a large city where many people use electric vehicles, we may find that there are charging stations all over the place. However, when we take off on a road trip or decide to visit family in a rural or suburban area, it may be harder to find a charging station. Thankfully, this problem is slowly being phased out as electric cars become more popular. However, it’s still worth considering until charging stations are more widespread. Be sure to take a look at charging station maps where we live and where you frequently go so we can make sure that we will be able to charge our new EV when we need to.
- Lower Amount of Choices – The market today has way more electric cars than it ever has before, with no signs of slowing down. However, the truth of the matter is that there are fewer ways to customize and choose the aesthetics of our EV. This is especially true when we consider the huge amount of customization available with traditional cars. This is likely to change as time goes on but for many people, it is going to be a disadvantage.
- Wrapping Up – There are many factors to take into account when choosing whether to purchase an electric vehicle. However, it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming decision. Consider our needs, the availability of charging stations near us, and do some research on the different models and makes of electric cars out there today. This will push us toward making the right decision for ourselves and our family.
The electric car is making its comeback. A few years ago, we chose a combustion engine-powered car because of its convenience and because the car producing companies were afraid to lose most of their profits. Let’s not make the same wrong choice again and stimulate the technological development of the electric car. The age of technology is upon us and we are able to find a solution for every possible disadvantage. Soon we will be able to make an environmentally friendly car with the convenience of a combustion engine-powered car.
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