Are you aware that only about 15 percent of the energy in the fuel you put in your gas tank gets used to move your car down the road or run useful accessories like air conditioning or power steering. The rest of the energy is lost. Clearly the potential to improve fuel economy with advanced technologies is enormous.

What can we do?

DRIVE ELECTRIC CARS

Here are some reasons why:

1. Electric cars represent the most environmentally friendly vehicle fuel, as they have absolutely ZERO emissions. The energy generated to power the EV and the energy to move the vehicle is 97 percent cleaner in terms of noxious pollutants.

2. Another advantage of electric motors is their ability to provide power at almost any engine speed. Whereas only about 20 percent of the petroleum in gasoline gets converted into useful work at the wheels of an internal combustion vehicle.  For an electric vehicle,  75 percent or more of the energy from a battery reaches its wheels.

3. One of the big arguments made by industries against electric cars is that EVs are still powered by power plants, which are powered primarily by coal. Less than 2 percent of U.S. electricity is generated from oil, so using electricity as a transportation fuel would greatly reduce dependence on imported petroleum.  Even assuming that the electricity to power the EV is not produced from rooftop solar or natural gas (let’s assume it comes 100 percent from coal), it is still much cleaner than gasoline produced from petroleum!  The power plants are stationary sources that can be modified over time to become cleaner.

The major concerns facing the electric vehicle industry are range, top speed, and cost. Ultimately, it’s the batteries that will determine the cost and performance of EVs.  The price of modern high energy density Lithium battery packs (ideal for electric propulsion) are reducing by almost 30-50% annually due to mass production efficiencies.  It will not be too long before these energy packs becomes commercially acceptable for mass adoption.

The only way electric vehicles are going to make a big difference in people’s lives is if they can do everything a gas car can do and more. They have to both look great and be safe to drive.

What Is An Electric Vehicle
Difference Between Combustion & Electric
History of Electric Vehicle
Rebirth of Electric Vehicle

WHAT IS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

An electric vehicle employs an electric motor for propulsion in place of the internal combustion engine (ICE) which burns fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel. Electric cars are usually powered by on-board battery packs.

Although electric cars perform with good acceleration with generally acceptable top speed, the lower energy density of production batteries available today compared with fossil fuels implies that electric cars generally provide lower range between charges, and recharging could take significant lengths of time.
 

Currently, electric cars are suitable for shorter range applications (city commuting within 100 miles). They are a practical form of clean transportation and can be inexpensively charged overnight. Electric cars can significantly reduce city pollution as they have zero tail pipe emissions. Depending on how the electricity is generated overall vehicle greenhouse gases can be further reduced. Electric cars are expected to have a major impact on the auto industry given their role in reducing pollution, reducing our dependence on oil, and the inevitable rise in future fuel prices as global supplies are exhausted.