Benefits of Electric Vehicles

Environmental Benefits of Electric Vehicles Electric vehicles emit less GHGs than conventional cars with combustion engines. This means they do not have the noise and pollution problems that gasengine cars do. HEVs can also use bio-fuels which produce even less greenhouse gases. A portion of the electricity in British Columbia still comes from burning fossil fuels. Primarily we use cleaner energy sources such as hydro electricity. The pollution is generated from power plants located away from residential and urban areas. According to a recent publication by Electric Mobility Canada, even when the electricity is not generated from renewable resources, electric vehicles can still significantly reduce GHGs compared to vehicles with internal combustion engines. MIT battery scientist Gerbrand Cedar believes that if the first 50 km of an average cars daily range were provided by batteries rather than gas, annual gas consumption would be halved. Economic Benefits of Electric Vehicles Recharging from grid electricity is nearly emissions-free and economical. In BC, the cost per kilometer using electric re-charged power is approximately eight times less than using conventional engine cars. Electric vehicles cost less to maintain than traditional vehicles. They need fewer inspections and no longer need: oil changes, air care, cooling fluid replacements and brake repairs. Battery technology continues to improve so that batteries are cheaper, more reliable, and last longer.

Table 2: Toxic Effects of Carbon Monoxide[27] Parts of carbon monoxide per million parts of air 100 400 to 500 600 to 700 1,000 to 1,200 1,500 to 2,000 4,000 and above Carbon monoxide in %/vol. (0.01) (0.04 - 0.05) (0.06 - 0.07) (0.10 - 0.12) (0.15 - 0.2) Physiological effects

Allowable concentration for an exposure of several hours Inhalation for up to 1 hour without appreciable effect Appreciable effect after exposure of 1 hour Indisposition but no dangerous effects after exposure of 1 hour Dangerous concentrations for exposure of 1 hour

(0.4 and above) Fatal in exposure of less than 1 hour