America is a car culture. We buy big, drive far, commute alone and judge each other by what’s in the driveway. And we’re paying for it in numerous ways. Taking the DOT and other estimates of the general commuting population of larger cities into account we are throwing an average of 13,000 tons of CO2 into the air on a daily basis. The average cost of fuel for the same daily commute was approximately $15.5 million dollars. So why aren’t we all driving electric cars? The industry has had difficulty getting off the ground due to technology and consumer issues but we may be on the cusp of an electric revolution. This year 12 car manufacturers will introduce EVs, hoping to entice a huge car nation to take the chance and plug one in for themselves.
So what are the Pros and Cons of making the switch?
PROS
Cleaner than regular vehicles-carbon emissions are projected to be roughly half of an internal combustion engine (ICE).
Lower dependence on fossil fuels-40% of the total US oil usage is reserved for personal cars and trucks. EV cars use either a modified internal combustion engine or a rechargeable plug-in battery.
Lower greenhouse gas production-electric vehicles that use energy derived from coal release 25% fewer pollutants into our atmosphere. Getting energy from wind, water, natural gas or solar will reduce these emissions even more. Conventional automobiles are responsible for a third of the US greenhouse gas emissions.
Easier to repair-this may be a bit premature but EV cars have less moving parts to may be easier to fix once your local repair shop gets used to them.
CONS:
Cost-one of the biggest obstacles to you and me might be the cost of an electric vehicle. Average price is the $30,000-$50,000 range with some of the higher end models into the six figures. And the batteries aren’t off the shelf; they’re expensive, sometimes in the thousands of dollars.
Fear of running out of power-Finding a place to plug-in your EV may be more problematic and although public charging stations are becoming more common it still takes more time to recharge
Not quite as green as a “Leaf”-a study sponsored by Greenpeace suggests that a proliferation of EVs will cause an increase in electricity production without necessarily reducing oil demand for ICE cars.
Imperfect batteries-cold weather makes batteries sluggish, air conditioners, stereos or heaters use the same battery as the car so there will be an added drainage.
Gas powered automobiles are all the US (and the world) has ever really known. It’s going to take a retraining of our brains to bring the EV into the norm. But the rewards are immense. Not only will we reduce or eliminate our need for foreign oil we’ll reduce the atmosphere killing residue we willingly produce every day. And if you think you can’t join the EV revolution stay tuned, Sallas Auto is on the case and we’re getting ready to show you how to convert your Mini or Beetle to the electric dream mobile you’ve always wanted.