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 expected energy costs are obvious to drivers after recent unpredictable oil prices. Electricity prices are relatively stable, stifling consumers from the large gasoline price fluctuations caused by international pressures and disruptions in oil supply.
Other benefits of electric vehicles include a quiet ride and increased convenience. Since electricity is already delivered to homes and businesses, trips to the gas station can be reduced or eliminated for some types of electric vehicles, saving on time as well as cost.
Electric vehicles give consumers a new option, while still offering high levels of mobility, vehicle performance, reliability, and safety. For many Ontario drivers, electric vehicles will offer an attractive alternative that will meet their needs and expectations.
Environment
There is no noise pollution which is a positive thing for the environment as for the gas cars they produce Co2and noise pollution which causes disruption to the wildlife and for residential areas. Electric cars produce zero Co2which prevents global warming from happening.
One recent study by scientists in EV-friendly Norway has found that in some circumstances electric cars can have a greater impact on global warming than conventional cars.
One of the findings is that the energy intensive manufacturing of EVs means that some cars make almost double the impact on global warming as conventional cars. This is mostly because of the raw materials and energy needed to build the lithium-ion batteries. However, the moment a new EV hits the road, the environmental picture starts to improve.
However, even here the picture is mixed, and wholly dependent on how electricity is generated in the country the car is being driven in. It can even depend on what time of day the batteries are charged because night-time electricity is less dependent on coal.
In the UK, during 2012, electricity generation from coal-fired power stations actually increased to almost 40% of total production, as the price of gas soared, and gas-fired electricity generation was reduced.[2]
Electricity from coal, which is the most polluting way to generate power, drastically reduces the environmental advantage for EVs. Because China, for example, generates almost all its power from coal, life cycle analysis of EV cars in China shows they are far more polluting than conventional cars.However in a country like Norway, where most power is generated from hydroelectricity, EVs fairly quickly begin to outperform conventional cars in terms of their overall environmental impact. [2]
Majeau-Bettez explains it thus: "For a European average power generation mix, and if you use your car for 150,000km, you could hope for a 25% improvement [in global warming impact] relative to a gasoline car. It seems that the UK has a more intensive coal and natural gas mix so the benefits would be somewhat less than that."[2]
Potential Benefits for Owners
•Lower operating costs
•Lower maintenance costs
•Quiet ride
•Convenience (home charging for all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles eliminates/reduces need to fill-up at gas stations)
•Opportunity to make a “green” choice
Potential Benefits for the Environment
•Reduced emissions of harmful air pollutants
•Increased energy efficiency
•Reduced oil dependency
•Reduced vehicle noise
•Reduced emissions of greenhouse gases
Clean cars for the future? [4]
For over 100 years, cars have been pouring fumes and soot and poisonous gases into our lungs. Now new developments in batteries and electric motors offer a promise of a cleaner future. Electric cars produce zero CO2 emissions when running, and they don’t emit nitrous oxide or produce other particle emissions either. Regular fossil-fuelled road transportation is responsible for around a fifth of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions from the combustion of diesel and petrol (carbon-based fuels) which power road vehicles make a pretty nasty mix of exhaust fumes. Electric cars produce no waste gases when on the move. Electric cars are only ‘zero emission’ if they get their electrical power from a renewable source. The real potential will only be realised when electric cars are coupled with renewable power generation.
Disadvantages for electric cars
The bad news is the battery [4]
The batteries used to power electric cars are very heavy. This slows the cars
The photograph shows a lithium-ion battery pack. [5]
Battery costs will vary but may be several thousand pounds and they could need to bareplaced every 5 years. The maximum range between charges is often less than 100 miles. Charging can take hours, and charging stations are few and far between. The batteries use lithium and other rare metals.
Disposing of batteries causes real environmental problems. In an accident it may be difficult to get you out of the car because of the dangers of electrocution. Chemicals spilled from the battery may also be dangerous.
[1]
By making electric cars it requires lots of energy and work to make them. This will then involve the environment by cutting trees and digging for metals.
Electric cars – the not-so-good news! [6]
• Electric cars are expensive to own. It’s not just the price of the car – it’s the price of the batteries they run on.
• They won’t go far without stopping to re-charge the battery – which possibly takes hours!
• Excluding in London, there’s almost nowhere you can go to charge them up!
• Most of the electricity in this country is made by burning coal, gas or oil – you’re not even cutting pollution or oil consumption, just moving it to a different place.
Environment
With electric car manufacture being so damaging to the environment, these cars have already polluted a great deal by the time they hit the road, the report says. However, if the cars were then powered by electricity made from low-carbon electricity sources, they could nevertheless offer "the potential for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and exposure to tailpipe emissions" over time. However, in regions where fossil fuels are the main sources of power, electric cars offer no benefits and may even cause more harm, the report said. "It is counterproductive to promote electric vehicles in regions where electricity is primarily produced from lignite, coal or even heavy oil combustion."
In Europe, where electricity is produced in a number of different habits, electric cars do offer environmental benefits when compared with cars with internal combustion engines, according to the study. This quote tells me that "Electric vehicles powered by the present European electricity mix offer a 10% to 24% decrease in their global warming potential relative to conventional diesel or petrol vehicles." [7]
Furthermore this evidence tells me that the report pointed out that the longer an electric car in Europe stays movable, the greater its "lead" over petrol and diesel engines. "Assuming a vehicle lifetime of 200,000km exaggerates the global warming benefits of electric vehicles to 27-29% relative to petrol and 17-20% relative to
Diesel," it said. "An assumption of 100,000km decreases the benefit of electric vehicles to 9-14% with respect to petrol vehicles and results in impacts indistinguishable from those of a diesel vehicle." [7]
An electric car's longevity depends a great deal on how long its battery lasts, not least since it is very expensive to replace them. Batteries are gradually getting better, which could result in electric cars being used for longer. However, as petrol and diesel engines are also improving, the relationships between the different types of vehicles are not constant.
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This graph shows us that the electric car is second to produce the most carbon foot print on transportation.
Conclusion
To conclude on this argument I personally believe that electric cars are better for the environment. At present, for the majority of the country, neither electric vehicles nor comparable gasoline-powered vehicles holds a solid advantage over the other in cleanliness. The balance will probably not change any time in the near future as the problem with electric vehicles is not inbuilt to them, but rather to the means by which we generate our electricity. Although electric vehicles offer some convincing advantages over internal combustion engine vehicles in terms of pollution management, the real advantage of electric vehicles lies in the future when more electricity is produced from cleaner sources. I found out that 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. Based on this evidence this means that without a good national grid with cleaner energy source the risk of batteries to be recharged will be 0% and the global warming and environment pollution will increase in the future. By build a grid which could give an enormous energy without effecting the environment or people, the energy cost could start to fall and could make savings for people.
Bibliography
[1] 18/01/14,As a CASRO member, J.D. Power subscribes to the Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research established by the Council of American Survey Research Organizations. This source is reliable.
[2] It is a reliable source because it’s a opinion from someone 17/01/14
[3]http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/electric/plan-greener-ontario/many-benefits.shtml 18/01/14, it is not reliable because it is biased on facts not opinion.
[4] OCR Correspondent. 2012 16/01/14 it is reliable
[5] Michelin Challenge Bibendum.Environment News Service. Second use sought for spent EV batterypacks. 2012.
[6] G. Christodoulou. Disadvantages of electric cars. 2007.
[7] it is reliable because it is from a person opinion.
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