When electric cars first emerged, they seemed like an escape from our constant dependency on fossil fuels, and a way towards a more environmentally friendly means of powering our transportation.
We may be able to eliminate our gas-guzzling conventional vehicles in the upcoming years, but we will only be able to do so by finding a way to charge those cars with clean, renewable energy.
Yet higher costs and lower battery performance often discourage people from transitioning towards these gas-free wonders. This pleads the question everyone’s asking – can electric cars replace the gas-guzzling automobiles of today’s generations?
Electric vehicles have already started to take the place of gasoline cars for an increasing number of people, and as technology continues to improve, so does their popularity.
Cost, Battery, and More Cost
Electric cars have been one of the most successfully adopted alternatively powered vehicles due to a number of factors. One of biggest determinants is the electricity cost, which is competitive with the price of gasoline. Not to mention almost everyone has one (or numerous) power outlets in their home, making recharging these convenient vehicles effortless.
When they first joined the market, electric cars struggled to succeed. This was mostly attributed to high costs and a lack of familiarity with the product, as well as an initial resistance from the major automakers to produce these vehicles.
As we continue to add more electric vehicles to the market, we also need a way to power them. Today, most of our power comes from coal power plants. These are often counterproductive, as they produce (and pollute) just as much gasoline as they try to eliminate.
As costs have come down over the years, more consumers have begun to purchase electric vehicles more than ever before. Battery technology is also improving, which makes these cars all the more desirable for people with long distance drives in their daily commutes.
Not only are electric vehicles less costly to own, but they are also often inexpensive to buy. The Nissan Leaf, for example, starts at a price of $30,000, which may sound expensive. However, when you factor in the available tax credits, this can add up to as high as a $7,500 federal income tax credit. Many states offer tax credits as well.
In the last ten years, a lot has changed. Nowadays, electric cars are common in both the United States and Europe, increasing in popularity every day. But can electric cars fully take the place of gasoline vehicles as the predominant form of transportation in our constantly evolving world? Or will they always fall second to their forerunner? That is the question everybody is asking.
E for Electric and Efficiency!
According to Autos Cheat Sheet, electric cars also use their energy 40% more efficiently than gas-powered cars. An electric vehicle will typically use 59% to 62% of energy to power their car, while gasoline cars only use 17% to 21% of their energy to power the vehicle, making electric vehicles 41% to 45% more efficient. For individuals who have shorter commutes (less than 50 miles per day), an electric car can actually provide significant savings.
And a Few Other Benefits Too
Another plus – since these vehicles are fully electric, they no longer require oil to lubricate the engine. This means oil changes will become outdated. Brakes will not wear as quickly, so you will not have to worry about replacing pads as often.
Another benefit of the electric car is that police radars typically do not follow electric cars as much as conventional cars for speeding tickets since they are not known to be speedy. Yet if you do get a ticket, you can still take a defensive driving course to reduce your fine and have points taken off your record, keeping your record as clean as your environmentally friendly vehicle!
Overall, electric cars may become the norm when it comes to modes of transportation sooner than we think, replacing the once-considered “perfect” conventional automobiles of today in the upcoming decades.