Pro's: The Benefits of Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles are being studied and created because of their
many benefits over today’s internal combustion vehicles.
Their benefits are listed below.
-
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY:
The main benefit and reason for using electric vehicles is the
fact that they are extremely clean. So clean in fact that EVs
are said to be between 97%-99% cleaner then gas-powered cars.
This number includes the emissions from the electric power plants
which often burn fossil fuels, but are still much more efficient
and cleaner then combustion engines. There are no gaseous emissions
from electric vehicles at all, nor are other pollutants such
as oil, transmission fluid, and radiator fluid needed to make
the car run. In fact, in most EVs the only hydrocarbon based
substance used is grease which lubricates the wheel bearings.
Driving an electric car instead of conventional car for a year
would save an estimated 17 pounds of hydrocarbons, 14 pounds
of nitrogen oxides, 200 pounds of carbon monoxide, and 12,000
pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted into atmosphere
as pollutants and greenhouse gases which add to the growing
global warming problem. More importantly, if the electricity
for the car was provided using renewable energy sources such
as wind, solar, or hydropower, there would be no air pollution
at all. Because electric vehicles are so clean, if zero emission
vehicles (ZEVs) could replace ICE vehicles, many environmental
problems such as global warming and air pollution can be helped.
See section: Saving the Environment.
-
ENERGY EFFICIENT:
Along with being clean and environmentally friendly, electric
vehicles are extremely efficient. For even 100 units of fuel
expended in an ICE vehicle, only 16 actually result in propulsion,
while in electric cars almost 85 units are used for driving.
Along with the propulsion system being much more efficient,
there are no energy loses through the transmission or idling
like in ICE vehicles. Another main advantage of electric vehicles
is regenerative braking. Regenerative braking allows for when
the vehicle brakes, the motor turns into a generator which puts
energy back into the batteries. Not only does this improve
the efficiency of the vehicle, but it also greatly reduces break
wear as well.
-
FUEL FLEXIBILITY:
Electric vehicles are the ultimate alternative fuel vehicles
because their energy comes from whatever source was used to
generate electricity. While in the United
States fossil fuels like coal are still
predominant, Canada
relies heavily upon hydroelectric power, which means their EVs
run off a natural, renewable resource. As well as the other
renewable resources like solar, wind, and geothermal energy,
nuclear energy also provides a great power source. The source
fuel flexibility of EVs alone offers significant practical and
economic benefits.
- OTHERS:
Another main benefit of electric vehicles is their mechanical
simplicity. For example, the propulsion system of an ICE vehicle
has hundreds of moving parts while an electric vehicle has only
one: the electric motor. This greatly reduces maintenance costs
and saves money on lubricants and oils. Also, because most electric
vehicles do not have a transmission, motors are single speed and
acceleration is smooth with no bump when changing gears like in
today's cars. Another advantage is electric vehicles are very
quiet. In fact, they are so quiet that engineers must design
the car to muffle the car noise of other systems such as the air
conditioning, power steering, or air compressors. Also, electric
vehicles can be charged at home which saves stops at gas stations.
And finally, running a car of electricity is cheaper per mile
then running it off gas.
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Source: http://www.rquiley.com/ev-tech.html
Source: http://www.etvi.org/High_Tech/New_Electric_HiTech_right.html
Source: http://www.evchallenge.org/hs_webpages/2002/wakef/environmental.html
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