Electric or Gasoline? The Beauty and the Beast

What's your choice?

More and more electric cars start to appear on the roads. Prices for such cars will eventually drop. They are good for the environment, it is out of the question, but will the average consumer really want them? Will people in the emerging economies be able to by an electric vehicle? Our future depends on the answers to these questions.

Scientists and experts all over the world are ringing the alarm because of the upcoming global disaster. And as we all can see, they do it not for nothing. According to the NASA analysis, the average global temperature has increased by about 1.0°Celsius (1.8° Fahrenheit) since 1880. In the foreseeable future, humanity will face a dilemma: to pass away using fossil fuels or to save itself and the planet by switching to renewable energy. An important step along this way is the transition to the eco-friendly electric propulsion.

Many people still believe that the global warming is a hoax. Unfortunately, among them some politicians, oil tycoons, and even scientists who are responsible for the destiny of our world. They claim that the solar activity may influence the climate to a greater extent than human activity. The sole good news is that ever fewer scientists support this theory.

The last research of University of Lancaster has shown that the “contribution of humankind’s greenhouse gas emissions has outweighed that of solar variability by a factor of about 13 to one.”

The top influence greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. The average passenger vehicle with internal combustion engine emits about 5 tons of this gas per year, let alone the trucks, planes and power plants. Despite the new tendencies in the electric power production, the share of renewable sources is still not sufficient. But at least it looks like we are going the right direction.

Not only the electric cars are cleaner because of their zero emission but they are also don't use motor oil and oil filters. Thanks to the recuperation electric vehicles waste far less energy by braking, instead, they regenerate power and store it in the battery. As a nice bonus regeneration extends the lifetime of the braking pads and discs as they do not wear as quickly. This is one more contribution to the environment protection.

The opponents of electric propulsion will soon understand that the rapidly developing technology will make electric cars even cheaper than their gasoline ancestors, not to mention the fuel/energy cost. The smartest oil guys are already pumping their oil-based capital into the rise of the electric car.

Most of the emerging nations still don't have sufficient infrastructure for servicing and charging the electric vehicles. Thus people, even if they have enough money, will not buy this type of cars. The advanced counties can make a big difference for such regions of the world, and this can be mutually profitable. Business ventures daring to invest in growing economies will most likely thrive in the very next future. This is a way yet to go. And let us not forget that the sustainable energy and electric propulsion (at least where possible) may become our last resort for saving the planet.