Electric Cars
Lithium-Ion Battery
A lithium-ion battery is what is most commonly used in electric cars today. Lithium has the largest amount of energy density and electrochemical potential of all metals which makes it the desirable choice. The battery will not weigh the car down, but give the car the stamina it needs. Also, the battery is very low maintenance. The lithium-ion battery works like a typical battery. The anode and the cathode are separated by a thin layer called the electrolyte. The electrolyte allows the lithium-ions to pass through from one side to the other creating a current. If tiny pieces of metal get stuck in the electrolyte during the manufacturing of it then the battery runs the risk of over-heating or exploding. However, in recent years the safety of the batteries has improved dramatically and should not be a major concern of the consumer. When used in an electric car the battery will typically charge overnight. Only eight hours of charge time are required to be able to run the car for 40 or more miles. Production
While the electric car is being made it has many impacts. The initial manufacturing of the car produces more emissions than that of a regular car. Power plant emissions work against electric cars, however when totaling all the emissions the electric car still produces less. Operation
Electric cars produce zero emissions at the tailpipe. However, the wear and tear they cause on the road is about the same as a conventional car. Controversy arises when dictating where the source of the electricity comes from. If the source is from coal then the electric car is responsible for almost 15 ounces of CO2 for every mile driven. This may seem like a lot but compared to an average of 1.26 pounds of CO2 released for every mile driven in a regular car the electric car is far cleaner. When comparing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, conventional cars release about 0.95 grams/mile whereas electric cars only produce about 0.015 grams/mile. The electric car emissions of NOx come from the production of electricity from a coal-fired power plant. A way to reduce the amount of pollutants that an electric car indirectly emits is to implement the use of Clean Coal Technology (see CCT page). |
Savings
Electric cars are far more cost effective compared to a conventional car. Although an electric car is initially more expensive than a conventional car, the consumer makes up for that through tax breaks and money saved at the pump. Rather than filling up on gas every week, an electric car would only need to be filled up, at most, once a month. This could save a consumer between $700 and $1,000 each year. Also, a Federal Tax Credit worth $7,500 is offered to buyers of new electric vehicles for personal use. Total Emissions
There is not a great difference between a conventional car and an electric car when comparing their environmental impact relating to road use. Electric cars typically produce the same or close to the same as average cars. However, when comparing overall emissions between the two there is a large difference. While electric cars are being produced they produce more emissions than gasoline-powered cars. However, over the course of their lifetime an electric car will typically emit only 1.6 percent of the amount of total NOx emissions from a conventional car. Also, an electric car will release 24 percent less CO2 emissions than a conventional car, given that they both driven more than 90,000 miles in their lifetime. In total, about 8.7 tons less of CO2 will be emitted from an electric car compared to a conventional car of its size. |