Written by Toby Yu, Edited by Yinwa Yung
As human innovations got more and more complex following the industrial revolution starting in the mid-1700s, it was not until long after that the long-term effects this had on the environment were visible. This development impacted four main factors of the environment: air, water, soil, and habitat. Currently, the most significant problem we face is air pollution. Several different inventions create air pollution, the main ones being factory and car emissions. (Folk, 2018)
(CO2 emissions from cars: facts and figures, 2019)
The graph above shows the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced each year in the EU. The majority of the emissions are produced by transport, in which 60.7% of the carbon dioxide emissions produced by transportation are from cars. There are a few ways to reduce this, such as using a more environmentally friendly car, or to simply just avoid driving and take public transportation. This article will focus on how electric-powered cars can be used to reduce the total emissions produced by cars.
There are other types of cars apart from traditional cars which run on fuel, such as electric and hybrid cars. Electric cars are a great way to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere because they do not release any sort of emissions at all directly from the car itself. (How do battery electric cars work?, 2018)
An electric car has a few components that provide motion: a battery, a inverter, and a electric traction motor. The battery pack stores the power needed for the car to run. This allows most cars to travel up to 100 miles when fully charged. An inverter converts DC power which is generated by the battery pack into three-phase AC power. This three-phase AC power can be used by an electric traction motor, which turns the drive wheels and allows the car to move. (Learn Engineering, 2017)
(U.S. Department of Energy, n.d.)
This diagram shows where each of the components is placed within an electric car. It pictures where the battery pack, converter, and the motor are positioned around an axle. The thermal system is used for cooling down the insides of the car as it is being used, the auxiliary battery gives electricity to other components in the interior of the car such as GPS navigation, media player, lighting, etc., and the charge port is where the battery pack can be recharged.
As the electric traction motor is typically placed on the axle of the front wheels of the car, this gives the car a two-wheel drive. However, some electric cars have two motors, one on each axle, which gives the car a four-wheel drive. The battery pack of the car is usually found at the bottom of the car. This is because the batteries of electric cars weigh much more than conventional cars, so keeping the car’s centre of gravity low is important. The battery pack of a car can be charged by a domestic socket or a wall-mounted socket. There are also a few electric car models which allow wireless induction charging. These can be charged by simply parking the car on top of an energy pad on the floor. (Haymarket Automotive, 2019)
The use of electric cars over the past few years has significantly lowered the number of gas emissions produced by vehicles. An average of 1.5 million grams of carbon dioxide can be reduced from just replacing a single conventional car, which is also the same amount of carbon dioxide produced from four return flights between London and Barcelona. Although over a third of the total carbon dioxide emissions are from the production of an electric car, the car itself produces so much fewer greenhouse gases that the high production emissions are worth it in the long run. Electric cars are also generally better for the environment than hybrid cars, as these partly run on fuel and therefore release tailpipe emissions. (Electric cars and the environment, n.d.)
(Hausfather, 2019)
This chart compares the amount of carbon dioxide produced by a conventional vehicle with the Nissan Leaf, an electric car. An average car that runs on fuel produces an average of 258 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per kilometre traveled, and a hybrid car, specifically the Toyota Prius Eco, produces an average of 170 grams of emissions. As electric cars do not release any tailpipe emissions, the primary source of emissions is created from the fuel cycle. Because of this, the amount of emissions created by electric cars is considerably less compared to a conventional car. However, in Germany, the hybrid car may be more environmentally friendly than the electric car.
Even though electric cars have many environmental benefits, there is an economical drawback to these types of cars. According to an analysis done on electronic vehicle prices done by Cox Automotive in May 2019, the average price of an electric vehicle is USD$55,600. (Coren, 2019) Whereas the average price of a new conventional car is only USD$36,843, according to the new vehicle analysis done by Kelley Blue Book. (Average new-car prices up 2 percent, 2019) Meaning an electric car is USD$18,757 more expensive than a conventional car, making the electric car cost more than the usual conventional car by a third.
Warranty and finance experts advise people to only spend up to 15% of their annual income on a used car, or up to 25% of their annual income if they are planning to purchase a brand new car. (How much of your salary should you spend on a new car?, n.d.) According to statistics released by the United States Bureau of Labour Statistics, the annual average income of someone living in the United States is USD$46,644. (Fiorillo, 2019) 25% of this annual income is USD$11,661, which is not even nearly enough to purchase a first-hand conventional car. In order to purchase a brand new car, it would require an average American to save up 25% of their annual income for at least three years to meet the price of an average new car. It is already challenging enough as it is to save up enough money for a conventional car, but with the added price of an electric car, it would require the average American to save up this amount of their annual income for at least five years. It does cost less to run an electric car compared to a conventional car in terms of gas/power and maintenance, however, getting together the first sum of money to purchase the car will be the most challenging part.
As reducing the distance of traveling or not using a car entirely would be reasonably unrealistic, replacing conventional cars with electric cars is a great way to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions released by transportation. Even though the starting price of purchasing a battery-powered car is relatively high compared to purchasing a car that runs on fuel, it is worth the cost as driving and owning an electric car is far better for the environment in the long run.
References
Average new-car prices up 2 percent year-over-year for April 2019, according to Kelley Blue Book. (2019, May 1). Retrieved from PR Newswire website: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/average-new-car-prices-up-2-percent-year-over-year-for-april-2019-according-to-kelley-blue-book-300841489.html
CO2 emissions from cars: facts and figures. (2019, March 23). Retrieved from European Parliament website: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20190313STO31218/co2-emissions-from-cars-facts-and-figures-infographics
Coren, M. J. (2019, August 27). The median electric car in the US is getting cheaper. Retrieved fromQuartz website: https://qz.com/1695602/the-average-electric-vehicle-is-getting-cheaper-in-the-us/
Electric cars and the environment. (n.d.). Retrieved from EDF Energy website: https://www.edfenergy.com/electric-cars/environment
Fiorillo, S. (2019, February 3). What is the average income in the U.S. in 2019? Retrieved from TheStreet website: https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/average-income-in-us-14852178
Folk, E. (2018, September 17). Environmental impacts of industrialization. Retrieved from EcoMENAwebsite: https://www.ecomena.org/environmental-impacts-of-industrialization/
Hausfather, Z. (2019, May 13). Factcheck: How electric vehicles help to tackle climate change. Retrieved from Carbon Brief website: https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-how-electric-vehicles-help-to-tackle-climate-change
Haymarket Automotive. (2019, February 20). How do electric cars work? Retrieved from What Car? website: https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/how-do-electric-cars-work/n18091
How do battery electric cars work? (2018, March 12). Retrieved from Union of Concerned Scientists website: https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/electric-vehicles/how-do-battery-electric-cars-work
How much of your salary should you spend on a new car? (n.d.). Retrieved from WarrantyWise website: https://www.warrantywise.co.uk/blog/how-much-of-your-salary-should-you-spend-on-a-new-car#
Learn Engineering. (2017, July 31). Electric cars vs petrol cars [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewcWN-rHQ6Q
U.S. Department of Energy. (n.d.). How do all-electric cars work? Retrieved from Alternative Fuels Data Center website: https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/how-do-all-electric-cars-work
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