The Utility of Electric Cars: Positive Impacts on the Environment
Environmental issues are a major cause of concern in the contemporary internet connected and informed social setting. From global warming to carbon emissions to sea, air and noise pollution, the pertinent aspects of environmental safety and conservation are critical aspects which entail much debate, critique, proposal and appeal. Modern day transportation, especially in the road-sector transport system, necessitates the utility of oil (petrol and diesel), an un-renewable fossil fuel found in a few national jurisdictions.
Unfortunately, it is the overdependence that global society has on the above and other exhaustible fossil fuels, which necessitates great arguments, analysis, critique and further research on better ways of energy production. Of more importance is the evident data/ documentation, which provides proof of environmental damage from the emission of carbons into the ozone layer, as a direct result of energy/ gas/ oil utility. Environmental pressure pilling up has necessitated the development of environmentally friendly strategies in the production a host of most major global products (Hirsch 45).
Car manufacturers have not been left behind, as indicated by the presence of ‘hybrid vehicles’ from hydrogen powered vehicles to solar powered vehicles to plug-in electric vehicles. These have been on the production line for quite some time, as a reaction for more conservative means of production. The United States of America retains top position in its efforts at combating environmental damage through its variants of vehicle products that are environmentally friendly in addition to non-pollutants (Mitchell).
Plug-in vehicles in the U.S. entail the largest fleet globally because of their robust manufacturing and sale arena. Figures estimate a sale of up to 75,000 units since the year 2008; these being highway-capable plug-in utility assets. Leading the pack, is Chevrolet’s Volt plug-in hybrid, which is followed by Nissan’s Leaf all-electric car, and then Toyota’s Prius Plug-in Hybrid. The three aforementioned, are the leading production examples, with others following behind; abate at lower volumes. These include: – the Smart ED, Fisker Karma, Wheego Whip, Ford Focus Electric, Mitsubishi 1, BMW ActiveE, Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid, Coda sedan, Honda Fit EV, Tesla Mosel S, RAV4 EV (2nd generation), and other models of neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) ( National Academy of Sciences 12).
Car manufacturers tend to cut back on overall cost/ expenditures as a business ideal; conversely pushing their sales higher, in the competitive contemporary arena. With the aforementioned issues, it is wise to state that, ‘electric cars are our future’. This is informed by the contemporary knowledge present pertaining to our environment’s importance, and the manner in which humans have been slowly destroying it especially through carbon emissions. As a proponent of electric vehicles, I give the following reasons as baselines for Humanity’s need to ‘go green (environmental conservation).
First is the inert human want at creating a better global environment, through its protection, conservation and positive utility. Electricity as a source of energy, is easily sourced from different venues, gas and/ petroleum products being among them. However, other more refined, non-polluting and renewable sources exist for the production of electricity. This means, there will be sufficient electricity to power the environmentally-friendly vehicles of now and of the future. Secondly, the ideal of ‘bettering/ improving’ even more for better transportation and logistics underscores the importance of the issue. Energy expenditure on electric vehicles is efficiently utilized; thus, the absence of many re-energizing stops, as compared to use of gasoline. Thus, motion range (distance) is a trivial factor with electric vehicle transportation (Ehsani 34).
Third on the list is Man’s desire for more ‘output’ being vis-à-vis the energy consumption, when pertaining to vehicle transportation. Gasoline consuming vehicles cover distances fixed on an intake of petroleum and thus, cannot become efficient and effective utility models. On the other hand, electric vehicles cover more distance on (kilowatt-hours) energy stored, as compared to gasoline consuming vehicles.
Best to exemplify the aforementioned is the Obama administration, which has pledged federal grants to the tune of US$2.4 billion, as supportive measures to the manufacture and development of future (next-generation) electric vehicles. Monies, have also been set aside; these for the construction of charging infrastructure (electric vehicle) in a host of metropolitan areas in the country. During Obama’s State of the Union Address, he prioritized America’s goal at becoming the first achiever of the 1 million electric vehicles target, by the year 2015. This goes to show the importance and potential impacts of electric vehicle utility to the overall environment (Mitchell 27).
On overall operating costs to the fuel economy of the global arena, going green – this through the utility of electric vehicles, will greatly decline, as per the aforementioned saving efficiencies and effectiveness of electric vehicles. From the initial calls for change, in the transportation industry, vehicle manufactures have since the 1890s till the present, continued to rive up peoples’ interest in such environmentally-friendly products. Pertinent to this, have been the various occasions, through which energy crises (as exemplified in the 1970s and 80s) have increased more interest in energy efficiency and conservation (Ehsani 56).
The production of electric energy being less costly, electric vehicles would reduce in the overall instance global dependence on exhaustible fossil fuels culminating on a reduction of global energy costs. This will in turn impact positively, as people and various economies will be able to save and thus utilize rare funds on other important projects such as social welfare, health and wealth creation among others. The ‘Green Industry’, as is commonly referred to all manufacturing arenas entailed in the production of environmentally-friendly products, is a fast growing and dynamic sector (Hirsch 24).
In conclusion, government support as is exemplified by President Obama’s pledge of the aforementioned federal grants will go a long way in establishing further advancements in the creation of ‘green-collar’ jobs and thus will be a big boost to the environmental activism as contemporary experienced. Less emission will mean less pollution of the environment, and thus lead to a better, cleaner and human-friendly environment.
Works Cited
Ehsani, Mehrdad. Modern Electric, Hybrid Electric, And Fuel Cell Vehicles: Fundamentals,
Theory, And Design. New York: Taylor & Francis Group, 2005. Print.
Hirsch, Jerry. “Plug-in hybrid sales soar; all-electric cars stay in low gear.” Los Angeles Times
(2012). Print.
Mitchell, William J., Borroni-Bird, Christoper Burns, Lawrence D. Reinventing the Automobile:
Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century (1st ed.). Massachusetts: The MIT Press , 2010. Print.
Sciences, National Academy of. Effectiveness and Impact of Corporate Average Fuel Economy: (Cafe) Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2003. Print.
