Technology Research Paper About Relevance of Electric Cars (Research Paper Sample)

Relevance of Electric Cars
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Relevance of Electric Cars
Electric cars are an invention that has led to a lot of debate across the world. Proponents and opponents of the novice invention have sturdy points that can outweigh each other. Each party’s perspective is dependent on long term outlook and the transformation it might bring to the world. Governments are today supporting the production and sale of electric vehicles. Electric car producers are increasingly becoming proactive and innovative in production to satisfy the demand in the growing markets. A detailed look into the electric car discourse is herein analyzed to determine the standpoint that should be taken for an informed decision by governments, producers and users.
Environmental Friendliness
Isaak (2016), points out that the environment should be protected more so its longevity should be prioritized. Historically, cars have been a major cause of environmental pollution. Gas emissions, dumping of waste and noise pollution are some of the vices resulting from the use of cars. Electric cars are friendly to the environment in different ways and present little to zero hazards compared to the cars that have existed. It is obvious that electric cars use electricity but this is one of the major advantages attributed to the car. The car uses batteries which are recharged and are replaced every three to ten years. Electricity is renewable and clean energy unlike gasoline (Cherubini, Iasevoli &Michelini, 2015) Gasoline is a significant cause of air pollution and is partly to be blame for the increasing climate change. The emissions resulting from gasoline interfere with the ozone layer making it hard to shield the lower atmospheric layers from direct heat from the sun. Electric cars have zero emissions hence cause no pollution to the environment.
According to Helmers & Marx (2015), noise pollution is something cars are known for; this is why cities have a lot of noise from the cars passing across their streets. Electric cars have silent motors that move in almost silent mode that no one can hear. The other cars have engines with busy and loud motors. For instance, a gasoline car when started produces sound that is a result of fuel being burnt to generate torque. Electric cars only need to start a transmission from the batteries which is a flow of current hence no noise.
Innovation and Implementation
There is a huge need to increase distance coverage for electric cars. The distance range for electric vehicles does not allow for long journeys. This limits the cars to move around cities and short journeys. Notably, electric charging infrastructure is limited and companies in the electric car industry are working towards increasing charging stations (Ivanov, Savitski & Shyrokau, 2015). Tesla gas been elemental in pushing for opening up of electric charging stations across USA, although the implementation is slow, there will be enough stations in a few years. While pushing for more electric stations, Tesla through Elon Musk are working towards creating long lasting batteries that carry more power and can allow for lengthy journeys. Electric cars recharge their batteries while moving which reduces the time needed for recharging.
However, electric cars need to increase their charging speed. An electric car can take roughly between one hour to three hours to fully charge. This needs optimization and more innovation that will make the cars more convenient and reliable (Larcher &Tarascon, 2015). Electric cars have not been widely adopted as their inventors would have anticipated. Different reasons explain why many people have not bought the cars but in the near future will. The reasons have been mentioned above ad include limited charging infrastructure and lack of enough lobbying to buy the electric cars. Proponents of electric cars opine that oil bigwigs might frustrate the thriving of electric cars which threaten their future. USA has been vocal in the adoption of electric countries but it is noticeable in oil producing countries the adoption rate of models like the Tesla is low (Barth, Jugert & Fritsche, 2016).
Value
Production and disposal of electric is disastrous to the environment. Fortunately, with improving technologies pollution is being minimized to allow for a clean environment (Hagman et. al, 2015). Disposal of electric cars is now revolutionized by the existence of recycling technologies and smart waste. Recycling makes good the use of waste by finding alternatives of disposed cars such as art. Cars carry human life hence the need for assurance of safety. Driving an electric car is relatively safe but presents few dangers (Onat et. al, 2016). When driving an electric car has automations that help the driver make informed decisions and know of the state of the vehicle and giving directions using clear road maps. Moreover, in case of an accident electric cars are less likely to explode compared to helium or gasoline cars. The little vice attributed to electric car safety includes silence and electrocutions. Silence may lead to accidents to pedestrians who do not get any signal of an oncoming car or one heading their direction (Luthans, Youssef & Avolio, 2015). Cases of electrocution have not been reported but with electricity being electrocuted is an important thing to be aware of.
Manzetti & Mariasiu (2015), hold that electric cars are cost effective and have low maintenance costs. The cars have less stress for expenditure. Tesla owners find the car economical. The case is similar with owners with electric cars from General Motors. The cars are affordable and have little demand for maintenance expenses. Electric cars do not need lubricants for the engine hence reduced costs for maintenance. This makes the car convenient, economic and reliable.
Government Policy
Arguably, governments have tried to lobby people to buy electric cars but have not significantly succeeded. Mostly, people who buy electric cars buy them for status or curiosity. People know the electric cars are environmental friendly but continue fuel guzzlers (Randall, 2016). Much needs to be done by the government in ensuring a seamless transformation from gas vehicles to electric ones. There are politics that surround the push for electric cars. Big car industry players are gasoline oriented. The government through its congress and lobbyists has a huge task of transforming the American roads to be gasoline free. One way of making electric cars more affordable and available to the masses is through the provision of incentives and subsidies.
Incentives motivate an industry to perform more. Economic stimulus programs can be beneficial to the electric car industry as they will catalyze production of more cars and increase affordability. Subsidies reduce the cost of production for example through reception of grants from the government or tax exemption on raw materials for electric car production. This will increase the availability of the car in the markets and their adoptions will increase due to affordability (Nykvist & Nilsson, 2015). Advocacy and campaigns for increased use of electric cars through the media, popular culture, the law and influential persons are primal towards the adoption electric cars. There is a lot of complacency in matters electric cars but time for change is due. The challenges that electric cars face are short lived just as with the case with cryptocurrency in the financial markets. Now a significant amount of global financial transactions is done via cryptocurrencies.
Challenges Faced by Electric Car Industry
The electric car has its shortcomings that make its production a little challenging. Raw materials for battery production are rare and are found in unique places. The batteries are made of lithium. Lithium is a rare mineral yet batteries need to be reproduced to satiate the demand of the growing markets (Mersky et. al, 2016). This has to Tesla’s setting up of a large battery plant that assures the company of more supply of long lasting batteries that will last into the future. Cells when aging, reduce their charging power and storage capacity as well. This increases obsolescence in the electric car industry. Electric vehicles are a futuristic goldmine but need a lot of innovation for a stable way of ensuring the various elements of their actualization do not become obsolete.
Expensive importation of car parts ruins the seamlessness and cost efficiency in the production of electric vehicles (Uteng & Cresswell, 2016). Electric vehicles are made with precision that allows for perfect cars that are stunning to the markets. Every electric car tries to outdo every version of its traditional brands. A good example is BMW have a futuristic model called BMW i5 which is unique and strives to be better than its other versions like the M3 or X5.
People are used to doing things very fats and do not have a waiting culture. Gasoline stations take up to five to ten minutes to fill up a gas tank. Electric cars need more than five times the amount of gasoline time to fully charge (Van-Noorden, 2015). The slowness is a setback that needs fixing but there is no call for alarm as this has a simple hack. It is advised that when an electric car owner arrives home, he or she plugs the charger to his or her car. The owner will then go to his or her house and continue his or her chores of interact more with children if he or she has any. The electric car owner can then unplug the car the next morning when heads to work or somewhere else. When parking the car, the car owner is advised to look for charging spots that will keep his or her car fully charged. As such, when the car is regularly and fully charged there will be no complains of charging takes time. It is important to charge the car when you don’t have any other tasks.
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