from flickrElectric vehicles are not new. Some of the first electric vehicles showed up in the 1830s.
First, Cadillac introduced the electric starter for combustion vehicles in the early twentieth century. That made combustion engines safer to operate, and removed a big argument for electric vehicles, even back then.
Second, improving the combustion vehicle was easier and cheaper. Ford made combustion vehicles cheap enough for just about any worker to afford.
Due to high fuel costs we’re starting to see electric cars crop up again. The Toyota Prius is a hybrid–part electric, part gas-burning–but vehicles could make the move to entirely electric soon. So it’s smart to start thinking about electric cars as a viable option.
But do electric cars really make sense?
The greatest argument in favor of an electric vehicle is saving money on gas. But that argument might not wash, because the net savings over the time you own the car may be much lower than the savings annually might make you think. The issue starts with the purchase price of hybrids, which are close as you can get to an electric vehicle the average person can buy.
The second biggest argument in favor of an electric vehicle is saving the environment. But does it?
There are a couple varieties of electric vehicles on the market today, some costing less than others. Both use electricity to run, though, and most electricity comes from burning coal. Not only that, but manufacturing the batteries produces even more greenhouse gas emissions.
Based on where you’re charging your hybrid, your electricity might be produced by burning a significant amount of coal, and you might not be helping the environment at all.
That doesn’t mean electric vehicles are a pipe dream, but it does mean we have ways to go before a truly environmentally friendly, economical electric car becomes a reality.
Post Tags: Electric Cars
