Electric or Gasoline? The Beauty and the Beast

What's your choice?

Electric cars are becoming increasingly common on the road, and their prices are gradually dropping. 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 imminent global disaster, and as we can see, their concerns are well-founded. According to the NASA analysis, the average global temperature has increased by about 1.1° Celsius (1.9° 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.

Some people still believe that the global warming is a hoax. Unfortunately, some politicians, oil tycoons, and even scientists are among them, and they are responsible for the fate 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 an internal combustion engine emits approximately 5 tons of this gas per year, let alone the trucks, planes, ships, and power plants. Despite the new tendencies in the electric power production, the share of renewable sources is still not sufficient. But at the very least we seem to be on the right track.

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 so they do not wear as quickly. This is one more contribution to the environment protection.

Opponents of electric transportation will soon realize that rapidly evolving technology will make electric cars even cheaper than their gasoline predecessors, not to mention the fuel/energy cost. The smartest oil guys are already pumping their oil-based capital into the rise of the electric propulsion.

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. But, of course, all of this depends on the political situation and economic stability in these countries, and this path is yet to be traveled.

However, we shouldn't forget that sustainable energy and electric propulsion (at least where it is possible) may be our last resort to save the planet.