Electric cars are coming into people’s lives, and though they may seem eco-friendly and safe, they are actually both a negative impact on our lives and the environment. Electric cars, also known as e-Cars, are cars that are run on rechargeable batteries. These modern cars may be claimed to be eco-friendly, however, they actually harm the environment more than we think. Many of these e-Cars are also replacing the current gasoline cars. Brands such as BlueCars and the Autolib’ made their debut in the early 2010s. Though some may argue that electric cars are better and eco-friendlier than gasoline cars, evidence and statistics show that these cars actually harm the environment more and may not be as safe as they claim, which is why I believe the introduction of e-cars into people’s lives are a negative impact and are bad in many ways.
Electric vehicles are worse for the climate compared to gasoline vehicles. During the production of an electric vehicle, more emissions are released compared to driving a gasoline vehicle. On average, making an electric vehicle releases about 7-10 tonnes of CO2. However, that amount is not including the emissions released during the process of making the battery of the vehicle. It is estimated that 150 kg of CO2 are released for every 1 kiloWatt hour (kWh) of battery capacity. For an electric car to have a decent range between charges, it needs a battery that’s at least 60kWh in capacity. This means that a further 9 tonnes of CO2 will be emitted during the making of an electric car, giving a total of 16-19 tonnes of CO2 emitted. This is relatively high compared to a gasoline vehicle which only requires approximately 5.6 tonnes of CO2 when being manufactured. Electric vehicles release high amounts of CO2 when being manufactured which pollutes the environment worse than a gasoline vehicle.
Charging stations of electric vehicles aren’t as eco-friendly as the gasoline stations as they release high amounts of carbon dioxide. Like gasoline vehicles, electric vehicles also need to charge their battery in order to run. However, during this process high CO2 emissions are released into the atmosphere. A regular EV power station emits 800-850 grams of CO2 per kWh, while a gasoline power station emits around 350-400 g CO2 per kWh. This means that 800-850 grams of CO2 is emitted every time an EV is being charged. Using renewable energy, like solar panels or wind turbines, approximately 36g CO2 is emitted per kWh, taking into account the emissions created during their manufacturing process. This shows that even charging stations with EV’s are harmful to the environment. Being able to charge your vehicle is a common action and many do it daily, meaning much CO2 is released into the air. Charging stations of EV’s are not as eco-friendly as gasoline stations as they release over double the amount of CO2 released at a gasoline station.
Electric cars may be able to drive for a long time but aren't very convenient when it comes to charging. Electric charging stations aren’t common just yet in the world. They also can’t appear in the middle of nowhere, such as a rest station on the freeway. The charging time of an electric vehicle is also 10x more than the charging time of a gasoline vehicle. When you stop at a gas station, it takes maybe 5 minutes to fill up your tank. However, if you were charging an EV, it would take 30 minutes or more. Being able to have a sufficient charging source is important when owning a car for that is what keeps the car running. Electric vehicles don’t have as efficient and reliable of a charging source as gasoline vehicles which makes it a worse option when choosing cars.
Electric vehicles in many ways aren’t as great as they claim. They also aren’t as eco-friendly as the manufacturer's claim. Electric vehicles produce more CO2 when being made and also produce more CO2 when charging. Though some may disagree and say EV’s have a positive impact on our community, after all this evidence, it is impossible to say EV impacts our community positively. Electric vehicles are quickly being introduced in our lives but should be thought over before buying.
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