Electric Cars – Should we be More Interested and Supportive of their Development and Use?

Abstract 

The paper looks at how the use of electric cars can be effective in energy conservation and ensuring the element of environmental sustainability. The use of cars which are run through the internal combustion engine leads to environmental pollution and climate change. As a result, there is a need to adopt other alternatives that are more energy-efficient and effective. Thus, the paper expounds on why the development and use of electric cars should be supported. 

Key Words 

Electric car , Internal combustion engine, Plug-in hybrid car , Electric motor 

Introduction 

In order to attain a sustainable high quality of life, there is a need to reconsider the sources of energy that we use. The world has to change from the use of fossil fuels and adapt a clean source of energy that is not only reliable but is also safe. Human beings need a source of energy for them to be able to run their activities. At the same time, the choice of energy selected could have a massive implication on the environment. For instance, the use of fossil fuels has adverse effects on the environment in that it releases pollutants to the environment and thus affecting living things. Thus, there is a high need to have an alternative source of energy of powering automobiles and reduce the use of oil-driven engines o the roads. This will help greatly in reducing the adverse impacts that are caused by the use of fuel as a source of energy and, in return contributing to the emission of greenhouse gases to the environment (Wilberforce et al., 2017). It is also vital to have systems that will help ensure that the diminishing oil reserves are taken care of, and also, the environment is protected from deterioration. 

The world cannot underestimate the impact that emissions from motor vehicles have on the environment. People have to come to terms that, through the emissions, the environment will be adversely affected through greenhouse gases, which lead to global warming and other impacts on the environment. As such, there is a need to have an efficient source of energy for propelling of motor vehicles in the modern world. Electric cars do not use fuel but use electricity as the source of energy that is needed to make the vehicle move. Electricity is a non-fossil fuel that is lean does not cause any pollution to the environment. There is a great urgency to reduce dependence on oil as the primary source of energy for automobiles. The availability of a more environmentally alternative entry is an aspect that society ought to emulate and support the development and use of electric cars throughout the world. Therefore, the question will always be, “Should we be more interested and supportive of their development and use?” 

Should we be More Interested and Supportive of their Development and Use? 

In their article, Wilberforce and colleagues (2017) discuss in detail why they think that the world should learn more about the development and use of electric cars. They argue that the use of fuel, diesel, and petrol, in vehicles across the world has had huge impacts on the release of greenhouse gases to the environment. The increase in greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere due to the emissions caused by the incomplete combustion of fuels has increased cases of global warming in the environment. With the release of the harmful substances to the atmosphere, the ozone layer is destroyed, the effected being that the Earth’s surface is unable to reflect the sun-rays from the sun due to the destruction of the ozone layer. As a result, there has been increased heat on the Earth’s surface, which results from motor vehicle emissions. Therefore, to deal with the issue of global warming and climate change, which is contributed by the emissions of greenhouse gases to the environment, the world needs to focus more on the use of electric cars in place of the ones using fuel as the main source of energy. 

Jones (2019) brings out pertinent issues concerning the use of electric cars. She begins by acknowledging the fact that there is a great need to reduce the issue of over-depending on oil as the main source of energy in the transport energy. The author points out that by having an alternative source of energy in place, sustainability in the environment would be realized. The author finds out that the main problem in the use of fuel as the main source of energy is due to the fact it leads to the release of greenhouse gases to the environment ( Jones, 2019). The author, therefore, thinks that through the use of a hybrid car that can use both fuel and electricity. Both will have the potential to reduce to a great extent, the energy consumption that is reported. However, by going fully electric cars, then it will be possible to achieve great results in line with the main aim of reducing emissions in the environment and attaining environmental sustainability through the development and use of electric cars. 

Karczewski and colleagues (2019) analyze the preparedness of the people to support the development and the use of electric cars. Whereas it has been reported that in many big cities, people are accepting electric cars as an alternative, there are still fears on the charging of the batteries to avoid them becoming depleted when on a journey. These fears ought to be addressed through an adaptation of a mechanism that will appeal to customers by giving them the assurance that they need in the usage of the electric cars. 

In their article, Van Vliet and colleagues (2011) discuss energy use, cost and CO2 emissions of electric cars. From their analysis, it is clear that the energy use and the cost of using electric energy as a means to propel a vehicle are cheaper and efficient as compared to the use of an internal combustion engine. More importantly, it is environmentally friendly and does not cause-related costs related to environmental pollution. In this regard, I believe that the development and use of electric cars need much support because it is an idea that is long due. 

Conclusion 

Ultimately, it is evident that the need for adopting support for the development and use of electric vehicles is ever-growing in society every day. There are increasing calls to ensure environmental sustainability through the use of electric cars. All-electric vehicles use an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. Such vehicles run on electricity, and therefore there are no emissions that come out of it. Its energy consumption is efficient as compared to the cars propelled by an internal combustion engine. The most important thing that they help in is that they do not cause pollution to the environment. Any idea that has the possibility of contributing to the conservation of the environment ought to give adequate support. The adverse effects that are accused by environmental pollution, such as climate change, are irreversible. Therefore, by supporting the development and the use of electric cars, the implication is that it will be in line with environmental conservation and sustainability. Further, the development and the use of electric cars will reduce the over-reliance on fuel, which can become depleted in the near future since it is a non-reliable source of energy. Therefore, through supporting the development and use of electric cars, we are not only contributing to environmental sustainability but also act as a way to create an alternative source of energy in the event motor vehicle fuel becomes depleted. 

References 

Jones, S. J. (2019). If electric cars are the answer, what was the question? British Medical Bulletin, 129 (1), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldy044 

Karczewski, M., Szczęch, L., & Polak, F. (2019). Are we ready for electric cars? Journal of KONES, 26 (3), 69-74. https://doi.org/10.2478/kones-2019-0059 

Van Vliet, O., Brouwer, A. S., Kuramochi, T., van Den Broek, M., & Faaij, A. (2011). Energy use, cost and CO2 emissions of electric cars. Journal of Power Sources, 196 (4), 2298-2310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2010.09.119 

Wilberforce, T., El-Hassan, Z., Khatib, F. N., Al Makky, A., Baroutaji, A., Carton, J. G., & Olabi, A. G. (2017). Developments of electric cars and fuel cell hydrogen electric cars. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 42 (40), 25695-25734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.07.054