Emily Fendall-York
Staff Writer
Ever since gas cars and diesels were invented, a lot of the American population depends on a motorized vehicle everyday. Not too long after, it was addressed that car exhaust, engine noise and fuel spills is a hazard for the environment and human health because it emits a wide range of waste, which could cause many issues such as global warming, acid rain, etc.
In 1890-91, William Morrison of Des Moines, Iowa created the first electric car in the United States. The vehicle was a six-passenger wagon and could reach a speed of 23 kilometres per hour (14 mph). In 1895, consumers finally began to devote attention to electric vehicles, little did Morrison know his idea would turn into so much more.
The most popular electric car that we see around now are Teslas. Elon Musk co-founded Tesla and is still hands-on, being in charge of vehicle design as well as many other areas of the company.
One huge benefit to using an electric car versus gas or diesel is that it’s better for the environment because of how the vehicle does not release gas emissions or leak fuel like other cars do. The environment’s health is a concern and has been for several years, electric cars changed the whole game. As people use more and more electric cars, it is saving the world one by one.
When thinking about gas cars, they use a lot of fossil fuels and other resources to make fuel but gas cannot be a renewable source like electricity is. Although resources are limited when making fuel, electric cars have also helped the environment by making the need for fuel irrelevant.
Gas and diesel vehicles are also much louder than an electric car, this can come in handy when it comes to leaving for work in the morning and not having to worry about waking the neighbors up with your car.
One benefit that some people probably don’t even know about is that for most electric cars in 2020, there are tax credits up to $7,500. The exceptions of the benefit are Tesla and General Motors, whose tax credits have been discontinued.
Another not well known benefit about electric cars is that in some places there are special highways called HOV lanes but are also referred to as “carpool lanes.” In most areas, HOV lanes are designed for carpoolers, buses, and motorcyclists. Some HOV lanes give access to certain low emission vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), no matter the number of passengers.
Although electric cars have many good qualities, there are some negatives. One is that electric cars have a shorter range than gas-powered cars. A tank of gas would be able to last longer on a road trip than an electric car would. This would have to result in more pit stops to charge the vehicle, which can be a problem when traveling in the middle of nowhere. What also can be annoying about this issue is that the battery takes time to charge so pit stops would have to take longer.
Another negative about electric vehicles is that prices for them can be way more spendy than a lot of gas and diesel vehicles. Tesla has some affordable models in the $35,000 range but other models can run over $100,000.
A big difference between gas powered cars and electric cars is that there are very few options for electric vehicles. Sometimes looking for a car can be very difficult and electric cars are not the easiest to find.
Overall, electric cars can benefit the environment a lot more but have many issues that can be deal breakers when considering one. With prediction of growth from the electric vehicle companies, these issues may be resolved with time. Until then, it is a hard decision when trying to pick between owning an electric car versus a gas powered one.
The Pioneer Press 