Electric Vehicles

 

The Case for and Against Electric Vehicles

The information on this blog has been drawn directly from a wide variety of sources for the purpose of summarizing various perspectives as accurately and objectively as possible.

The Issue: Climate experts advocate bringing global greenhouse gas emissions down to near zero by the middle of the century to avoid the worst effects of global warming.

Conventional gas-powered vehicles in the US are responsible for half of the urban pollution and one fourth of greenhouse gases. One-half of the oil produced in the US is consumed by gas powered vehicles.

Annual global CO2 emissions exceed 36 billion tons. 

If policy makers want to confront the issues related to cars and climate change, there are three major options:

1. Reduce vehicle use

2. Increase vehicle efficiency to reduce emissions significantly

3. Switch to less polluting vehicles

The Case for Electric Vehicles (EVs)

Switching to electric vehicles would be the most effective way to reduce urban pollution and greenhouse gases significantly. (Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet which is exactly the problem that is increasing the problems of climate change.).

Electric vehicles, powered by batteries, could lead to a significantly reduced level of pollution in our country. Other options, such as reduced vehicle use and improved energy efficiency in automotive fuels would result in only marginal changes in our atmosphere.

Electric powered vehicles not only power vehicles but the technology also includes storing energy when the vehicle slows down. Energy efficiencies: EVs convert over 77% of electrical energy from the grid to engine power, whereas conventional vehicles convert only 12-30% of energy stored in gasoline.

Emissions from EVs are 43% lower than diesel vehicles and “in all cases examined, electric cars have lower lifetime climate impacts than those with internal combustion engines.

Studies also show that while higher emissions are produced during vehicle battery manufacturing, this excess carbon debt would be paid back after less than two years of driving. In addition, battery technology is evolving rapidly and there is great potential for reductions in battery manufacturing emissions in the future.

As electricity generation becomes less carbon intensive – particularly at the margin – electric vehicles will become preferable to all conventional vehicles in virtually all cases. Although it may take four years of driving an EV to produce significant environmental changes, every gasoline vehicle on the road today means 10 to 20 years of pollution over its lifetime.

A significant reduction in pollution and greenhouse gases four years from now is well within the critical time period we have for reducing pollution and greenhouse gases and moving toward zero emissions.

Some bottom-line conclusions for switching to an EV:

No exhaust pipe flumes: less particulates, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, ozone, and other choking pollutants in the atmosphere.  In the US, an EV produces between 60 to 68 percent fewer emissions than a conventional gas-powered vehicle.

Performance: stronger acceleration, quieter and smoother drive.

More efficient mechanics: fewer break downs and potentially longer life cycles.

Cost savings: Charging stations for EVs are often cheaper than the price of petrol or diesel and, in some locations, a vehicle can be charged for free! With solar energy, charging EVs can be "free."

The average cost of electricity in the USA is about 12 cents per kwh. This means the cost for driving an EV for about 15,000 miles would be about $540.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory indicates that today’s batteries may last 12 to 15 years in moderate climates (8 to 12 years in extreme climates).

More charging stations: Charging equipment manufacturers, automakers, utilities, Clean Cities coalitions, municipalities, and government agencies are rapidly establishing a national network of public charging stations. 

The Case Against Electric Vehicles (EVs)

The increased emissions produced in the manufacture of pure electric cars increase pollution and greenhouse gases.

The electric car’s battery which is its fuel tank may generate nine tonnes of CO2.  A typical medium sized family car will create around 24 tonnes of CO2 during its life cycle, while an electric vehicle (EV) will produce about 18 tonnes over its life.

The production of aluminum, often used for the body of EVs, generates more CO2 than cars manufactured with steel. 

A plug-in hybrid has a battery and an electric motor, both of which may be used under certain driving conditions in which case, the efficiencies of one may cancel out the inefficiencies of the other.

For short trips, a plug-in hybrid may not switch away from its all electric motor, in which case the car emits no tailpipe emissions. In addition, plug-in hybrids use 30% to 60% less fuel than conventional gas-powered cars. If the electricity is sourced from renewable resources, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions are reduced even further.  Also, the amount of electricity available from renewable sources is continually increasing.

An electric car's battery range is too limited. The average gas-powered vehicles can get 290 miles with a 12 gallon gas tank.  Tesla's 85-kilowatt-hour-battery Model S gets up to 265 miles on a full battery charge and GMs Chevrolet Bolt is expected to get 200 miles on a full battery charge.

It takes too long to recharge an electric car. For a lot of long-range driving, a conventional car would be recommended. For short range trips, however, an EV would be a practical choice. The Chevy Volt requires about four hours to fully charge, and the Nissan Leaf requires about eight hours. Tesla's proprietary charger can add 58 miles of range to its batteries for every hour of charging time, so fully recharging the Model S would take about four and a half hours.   

Electric cars are too expensive.

The Mitsubishii-MiEV subcompact retailed for about $24,000 before any rebates or tax credits. The cheapest "family size" EV on the market appears to be the Leaf or the Toyota Prius plug-in, both of which retail for roughly $30,000, actually lower than the average new car's price of roughly $32,000.

In addition, most plug-in vehicles are eligible for at least $2,500 in tax credits (the credit tops out at $7,500 and grows based on the vehicle's battery capacity). 10 of the 15 new EVs available to American consumers are actually cheaper than the average gas-burning new car. 

Electric cars cost too much to run

The average gas-burning car, with 24.1-mile-per-gallon efficiency, needs about $15 in gas to drive 100 miles. Many pure plug-in electric cars, by contrast, cost roughly $3.85 in electricity to drive 100 miles.

The battery packs in electric cars are expensive and may need to be replaced more than once over the lifetime of the car. However, fuel cost savings, tax credits, and state incentives can help to offset the cost of EVs if they are available.

Electric vehicles are cheaper to maintain than gasoline powered vehicles. There are fewer moving parts in a typical EV than in a gasoline powered vehicle, which means there is a lesser chance of something going wrong. There is no need to change the oil, spark plugs, and filters which translates to bigger savings in the long run.

Electric cars are just as bad for the environment as regular cars.

This claim asserts that the lack of direct emissions from EVs would be offset by increased emissions from power plants that generate the electricity necessary to power them.

Even after the initial production of the battery, many electric cars are charged by power plants that produce electricity by burning coal or gas. According to the US Energy Information Administration, 63 percent of total electricity generation in the United States is created using fossil fuels. If the electricity being used to power the electric cars is being produced using fossil fuels, then electric cars just shift CO2 emissions from the tailpipe of the car to the electric power plant.