The Future of Electric Cars, Research Paper Example

Since the release of the first electric cars, there has been an ongoing debate concerning whether the invention of these electric automobiles will withstand the heat of market competition. The invention has also raised various issues concerning the effect of the electric cars on the environment in terms of pollution. Ethical dilemmas concerning the same have also emerged. We shall apply a thorough scrutiny on this latest technology to determine whether the invention will withstand the test of time or it will bow down to the high market competition in the economy.

We’ll begin by exploring the fossil fuels upon which both the fuel-combustion vehicles and electric vehicles depend on for energy. Gasoline is the main product that most gasoline powered vehicles use. The use of gasoline has been the main form of energy for most vehicles for a long period. However, the latest invention of electric cars has lead to the use of coal which is then heated to produce electricity. Fossil fuels’ advantages cannot be overlooked, ranging from their ease of accessibility to producing huge amounts of energy. Their ease of transportation to the manufacturing industries has also been a positive boost for their importance. In contrast to their great role, fossil fuels have caused great environmental pollution. They are partly responsible for the current global warming and unpredictable weather patterns. (Nick 86) The use of crude oil poses great environmental hazard, a good illustration being the deepwater horizon spill which pumped 20 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Hydrogen cars which utilize hydrogen gas for combustion have also tried their luck in the automotive market. The cars are quite famous because of their unique nature of functioning, plus they are eco-friendly to the environment. They are very efficient in operation as they utilize only one kilogram of hydrogen for every 60 miles (Daniel 27). However, the hydrogen vehicles face a number of disadvantages: the cost of preparing fuel cells for these vehicles is quite high. This has discouraged the efforts of mass production of the vehicles as their market prices would also be high. Moreover, in case of damage, the cost of repair is also very high, thus their maintenance expenses are high. Their speed performance is not quite impressive causing them to lose market interest.

Electric cars utilize a combustion engine with an electric propulsion system (John 113). They highly rely on electric current to function. This invention has been seen as a move to curb the increasing air pollution produced by fuel-combustion vehicles. They have gained much interest in the economy due to the outstanding qualities they exhibit. First and foremost, compared to the fuel-combustion vehicles, they are very smooth in operation. This is due to the fact that they have a high torque (axle twisting) in their motor system (John 86). It’s unlikely for the cars to produce hoarse sounds during engine running which captivates eager customers who want to appear stylish and modern. A bonus quality that makes them unique is that they are home recharging. All the user needs to do is to connect the vehicle to a plug for charging. Long queues in gas stations will be unlikely as more consumers opt for the electric cars. In addition, they are easy to operate in the sense that the cost per mile to fuel the vehicle is a third to a quarter the cost of gasoline (Berman). The only maintenance required is to ensure that the tires are well inflated throughout and rotate the tires regularly.

The invention of the electric cars has not escaped downsides as there exists a number of disappointing issues concerning the cars. The cars require long refueling hours; they can add about 20 to 25 miles of range in an hour of charging from 240V electricity (Berman). Moreover, almost all the releases: Ford +, Honda +, Cheby Volt and Nissan Leaf have limited range. The cars failed to impress the customer interest due to this fact. It was only after the release of Tesla in 2013 that made some positive change in customer interest after the earlier versions were re-designed (Hoium). The high cost of purchase, which range between $30,000 and $40,000 has put off demand for the vehicles. They seem quite costly despite the fact that they do not provide a variety of choice on style for the consumers. It’s either the consumer is interested in the electric car model released or not.

Statistics produced concerning the electric/hybrid vehicles signify a huge potential of the electric vehicles. In 2012, the world total sales stood at 8,580,000 with United States leading at 2,180,000 (Klippenstein). Since then, the economy ha s experienced an upward trend in the purchase, these are potential signs that the invention is buying its way to permanency in the economy. Among the leading models in sales were: Toyota Prius at 1,091,564, Honda Civic at 209,216 and Toyota Camry at 178,805.

Ethical dilemmas have emerged concerning the electric vehicles particularly by the vehicle producing industries. Tesla motor company has urged its marketers to overstate the performance level of its vehicles in order to make them more appealing to the mass. This begs to raise business ethics, as the producers violate ethical codes for their personal gain. Although the marketers highly praise the speed performance of the vehicle, studies show that the top speed of the electric vehicles steadily decline compared to the gasoline powered vehicles (Curtis 76). The Tesla motor company has also advised its chief mechanical engineer to exclude reports of electric vehicles causing pollution in its final report despite studies carried out in Canada showing significant pollution caused by electric vehicles. Again, this goes against ethical codes in business whereby transparency is important in relaying product information.

Going back to the drawing board, our main dilemma concerns whether electrical cars can revolutionize the automotive market in the next decade. The Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) release in 2013 created a positive hint concerning the establishment of these vehicles in the market. However, the total sales as seen in the previous statistics account for a tiny proportion of the total sales of all vehicles inclusive of the gasoline powered ones (Houim). In October 2013, 1.23 million vehicles were sold in the U.S, of which 10,100 were either plug in hybrid or fully electric (Klippenstein). Despite this small fraction of contribution, the upward curve in terms of sales of the hybrid vehicles exhibits a great potential of the future of these cars. The challenging part that develops is whether companies such as Tesla will be able to produce vehicles with considerable amount of range to compete with the gasoline-powered vehicles. The Hybrid car model exhibited the highest speed in all the models with 53MPG (Miles per gallon). However, the range is quite low and unattractive to the consumers who are in dire need of classy and high-speed performing vehicles to cope up with the modernized world. Model S is quite successful since it provides more than 200 miles per range (Curtis 119). The second to the Model S is the Ford Focus at 76 miles per range. If the range was increased to 300 miles per range and the recharging period reduced from hours to minutes, then there lies a huge possibility of the electric cars’ future.

Currently, the IBM is working on Lithium-air batteries so as to increase the energy density tenfold (Hoium). More to that, the Illinois Institute of Technology and Argonne National Laboratory was granted $3.4 million to develop technology that would improve electric-vehicle range to 500- 1000 miles per charge (Curtis 108). Carlo Segre who is the lead researcher in the project said that there’s a rechargeable liquid that can reduce the charging period. The biggest challenge that the companies are facing is to develop vehicles that offer significant range. Unless this is implemented, the future of the electric cars is at stake.

Works Cited

Anderson, Curtis D, and Judy Anderson. Electric and Hybrid Cars: A History. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland, 2004. Print.

Sperling, Daniel. Future Drive: Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation. Washington, D.C. [u.a.: Island Press, 1995. Print.

Buydos, John F. Electric Vehicles. Washington, D.C. (10 First St., S.E., Washington 20540: Science Reference Section, Science and Technology Division, Library of Congress, 1992. Print.

Georgano, Nick. Electric Vehicles. Princes Risborough, England: Shire Publ, 1996. Print