Electric Vehicles (EV’s) are increasing in popularity all around the world. Despite some concerns about range and speed of charging, many if not most of the major vehicle manufacturers are introducing them.
The most well-known ones of course are the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S but there are a great many more now coming on to the market. Governments are in turn responding, albeit somewhat slowly in some countries, by constructing the necessary public charging infrastructure, including fast-charging systems for longer-distance driving.
Electric cars are more efficient
When it comes to efficiency, EVs are much better than their petrol/gasoline equivalents. The reason for this is because an electric vehicle delivers the same level of efficiency throughout its life and that instantly gives it a huge advantage over its fossil-fuelled competitor. Furthermore, the large natural gas plant often used to supply the electricity that charges the car is far more efficient than the smaller fossil fuel engine in a conventional car, therefore the EV wins. If some or all of the electricity is generated from a solar panel array, solar farm or wind farm, it gets even better. Furthermore, it may be possible in the future to install solar panels directly on to the roof of the car, thereby making it even more efficient. Another thing to consider is that the internal combustion engine (ICE) gives off heat – and heat is basically wasted energy. So there you go.Among the most efficient models are the Ford Focus Electric, the Mitsubishi i-Miev, the Nissan LEAF and the BMW i3 BEV. Drivers are responding to this positively, US EV sales reached a quarter of million by September 2014 and 60 percent of American citizens now live in areas where EVs produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the most efficient gas-hybrid models.
Energy Independence
EVs are a great way in which to make your transportation energy independent, that is, not having to rely on a fuel source that is imported from abroad, possibly from a country with an unstable socio-political system (just remember the 1970’s oil crisis as an example). In the US, because the batteries are often made within the country, this adds to energy independence and also supports a home-grown manufacturing industry and that means jobs. There are some who say that the fracking revolution is making this argument outdated, but actually the US shale gas sector is already starting to decline and shale gas supplies can’t be relied upon indefinitely, whereas electricity generated by a wind farm can. The more EVs on the road, and the more charging infrastructure, the more energy independent America becomes. And if America can do this, so can every other country.
EVs are more reliable
EVs are more reliable than fossil fuel vehicles because they have less complicated engines and that means less maintenance. A five year study conducted by Nissan recently found that 99.9 percent of the company’s battery packs are still operating according to warranty – that is maintaining 80 percent capacity or more after five years. A British company then took this information and found that the Nissan LEAF drive train is 25 times more reliable than ICEs.
Climate Change
Unfortunately, there are still many people willing to knock EVs, criticizing them as supposedly having higher emissions than normal cars. In fact, although EVs charged with electricity generated by coal plants indeed have a zero effect on emissions but if the electricity comes from a natural gas plant the end result is that the EV produces less than half of the total emissions produced by a fossil fuel vehicle. EVs also emit less heat than conventional vehicles and this means they can reduce the urban heat island effect (UHIE) thereby reducing the need for urban air conditioners and that in turn saves carbon emissions.
