Will Electric Engines Replace Combustion Engines?
Everything that you do has an impact on the environment, and this is especially true when it comes to your car and transportation. Transportation generates an entire quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and specifically, transportation in the US produces more carbon dioxide emissions than any other part of the world. With all of this, a lot of people have made the switch to electric vehicles in order to lower the impact that they have on the environment.
Fighting climate change
Ultimately, one of the biggest reasons people choose to make the switch to electric vehicles, is an attempt to combat climate change.
These electric vehicles run on battery power, and are charged at home, and at charging stations. While running, an electric vehicle doesn’t emit any carbon dioxide or any other pollutant.
The electricity used to power them does produce global warming emissions, so how clean they are is based on how you charge them.
However, all told, electric vehicles account for a much smaller impact than a regular combustion engine does.
Save money
Many electric cars cost more money upfront than a traditional vehicle with a combustion engine does.
Because of this upfront cost, a lot of consumers are concerned and wary, and choose to opt for a non-electric car instead.
What a lot of people fail to realize, is that electric vehicles end up saving you a lot of money; more than what the difference of cost is between an electric vehicle and whatever other car you were considering.
You not only save on the cost of gas, but the mechanics within an electric vehicle are a lot easier to repair, which means that it’s also much less expensive to repair your electric vehicle than a combustion engine.
So while the initial cost of an electric vehicle may have deterred you in the past, it may actually be the cheaper option.
Now, on the other hand, if you’re someone who likes to tinker with cars in your garage, you might prefer a combustion engine because of the simplicity of the mechanics.
Most electric vehicle repairs require specialized equipment, which you won’t have on hand when you want to just take care of something yourself.
Battery life
One thing that is a common concern for people who want to make the switch to an electric vehicle, is that the battery on these vehicles don’t last very long.
There are a lot of measures being made to expand the life of these batteries in future models of electric cars, so there is hope that in the future, these electric cars will be sustainable enough for long haul drives and the need for combustion engines will become obsolete.
As it currently stands, most electric cars can go around 100 miles on a full charge. The new Tesla Model S has a battery life of 220 miles, and with a starting price of just $35,000, electric cars are becoming more practical, as well as much more attainable.
This makes it an excellent commuter car, especially since commuting is when the most pollution happens due to vehicle exhaust.
Companies jumping on the electric vehicle bandwagon
There are a few different factors that will ultimately contribute to how quickly electric vehicles on the road become the norm.
One is the willingness of us, the consumers, to invest in the environment by buying an electric car instead. The second, however, is the demand putting pressure on automobile manufacturers.
We’re already starting to see this pressure go into effect. Most manufacturers are making efforts to at the very least start making more electric and hybrid vehicles, if not completely rethinking their inventory.
Sweden’s Volvo Group will only produce electric and hybrid vehicles by 2019, Jaguar Land Rover plans to make the switch by 2020, and VW has pledged to lead the electric vehicle movement by 2025.
Norway government plans to ban the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles by 2025. The UK, Netherlands, France, and Germany have promised to follow by the year 2040.
A future of only electric vehicles in becoming a very real possibility.
Share this:
Category: Saving Energy
