Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars
Since 1920’s, vehicles powered by electric motors were already around. However, electric cars have not come to a point of widespread use due to the high price tag associated with electric vehicles compared to fueled cars. Today, there are already a lot of people that opted for electric cars but the industry remains to have not yet fully taken off. To give insights to people regarding electric cars, here are advantages and disadvantages to weigh between choosing electricity-powered cars and gasoline-fueled cars.
Advantages
Energy Efficient
At first glance, electric cars may look almost the same as conventional ones. However, when you look into the internal parts of the vehicle, you will notice that it has a diminutive combustion engine, tailpipe and fuel tank. Furthermore, it has a controller, battery and electric motor. With this, electric cars convert 59-62% of electrical energy from the solar grid to power the wheels. This is more energy efficient when compared to the 17%-21% of energy that comes from the gasoline fueled in conventional vehicles.
Fuel Economy
One of the advantages of having an electric car has to do with the fuel economy. As we all know, people are concerned about how much miles per hour will their gasoline get using conventional cars. It is a fact that gasoline prices are volatile and this could be a problem to consumers out there.
In electric vehicles, a different concept applies. Because the car runs on batteries, it will only be concerned with how far it can reach with the stored power in the battery.
Environment-Friendly
Electric cars do not release air pollutants. Hence, it is not only beneficial to people but also to the environment as well. There are many organizations today, and even commercial establishments like malls and hotels, that pursue eco-friendly projects as a response to the continuing climate change. Having an electric car would contribute to the wellness of everyone.
Smooth Performance
There are misconceptions that electric vehicles do not run smoothly as conventional cars does. But the truth is that electric cars are capable of the same speed, acceleration and horsepower despite not having the conventional combustion engine. Since electric cars do not require gear shifting, it can accelerate and brake smoothly.
Maintenance is also convenient for electric cars. Compared to gasoline cars, the electric motor is less messy and only requires a single move out from the engine. It is not also necessary to frequently change oil, do tune-ups and replace filters.
There are still many benefits that electric cars offers. However, there are also challenges related to battery that electric cars have to consider. Here are some of them:
Disadvantages
Battery Limitation
Although electric cars are more energy efficient, their batteries are only capable of 100-200 miles on a single charge. Also, the battery requires four to eight hours to be fully charged. Even a quick charge of the battery needs 30 minutes as well.
Battery Cost
The larger batteries are expensive and need to be replaced more than once.
Weight and bulk
Battery packs require bigger space on the vehicle aside from the fact that it is heavy.
Today, researchers are working on improving battery technologies to overcome these challenges in electric cars.
