Are Electric Cars better for the Environment?

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Hamza Khalif 11E

Are Electric Cars better for the Environment?

Introduction

In this case study, I will be talking about whether electric cars are better for the Environment. In this discussion I would be talking about the pros and cons about electric cars and the impact it has on the Environment.

The Science behind electric cars

A non-electric vehicle contains an internal combustion engine and related parts such as a fuel tank, fuel lines, cooling system, and an exhaust pipe system. Electric cars, on the other hand, are more powerful directly by electricity rather than a combustible fuel.

An electric car has a rechargeable battery, at least one electric motor, a controller that feeds from electricity to the electric motor(s) based on input from the accelerator pedal, and a charging system. In a modern electric passenger car, the electricity to power the electric motors is as long as by a rechargeable battery pack, an onboard gasoline-engine generator, or a hydrogen fuel cell.

In most electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf, electricity is supplied by a rechargeable battery pack that can be plugged into one of three power sources: a standard household outlet, an advanced home charging system that cuts recharging time in partial, or a quick-charge station provided by a city or public value. When an electric car's battery pack needs to be recharged, plugging the car in to one of these three sources is as easy as plugging in a tough extension cord. It can take as little as one hour to recharge the car using a high-voltage public quick-charge station or as long as 12 hours using a standard household exit.

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that features a small gas-powered engine/generator. The Volt's battery can be charged by a standard household 120-volt outlet in approximately 10 hours. When the battery pack is empty, the Volt's gasoline engine turns on and generates energy that is converted to electricity, which extends the driving range by an additional 300 miles or so[1].

The Honda FCX Clarity is a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle that combines hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity. The only byproduct of this vehicle is water vapour, which makes it one of the most environmentally friendly cars on the road. FCEVs must be refuelled at a designated hydrogen refuelling station, just as a normal car is refilled at a gas station [1].

Engineers are also starting to build special solar-powered cars as demonstration vehicles for how such technology works. These experimental vehicles are exploratory in nature and are not suitable for daily driving. Some vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, do employ solar-cell technology to run ancillary vehicle systems.

Advantages for electric cars

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Benefits for Owners

Hybrid vehicles can reduce fuel costs by 20-40% compared to conventional vehicles [2]. For the next age group of electric vehicles that can be recharged from the electricity grid, the potential energy cost savings are even greater. Although the first price of an electric vehicle is currently higher than the price of a conventional vehicle, as sales grow in the future the initial cost first-rate is expected to drop. This cost reduction has already been occurring for hybrid vehicles, where purchase price premiums have declined since the technology was first introduced.

In addition, the benefits of ...

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