Western High School

Electric Vehicles

Caleb Fiero

English 12

Mrs. May

March 6, 2019
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Electric Vehicles

The advancements in battery technology the past few years has brought a competitor to

car industry. Electric vehicles have a lot of buzz around them right now, and with the continuous

topic of global emissions, they look much better than the standard gasoline powered vehicle

(CBS .30).​ Gasoline vehicles are far less efficient per 100km when compared to electric vehicles,

with Tesla cars being the most efficien​t (Explain that stuff).​ Electric vehicles aren’t all good

though, they have many flaws and they could cause issues for our planet in the future​ (ETCG1

0:58). ​As they Electric cars grow in popularity, it’s important to be educated on what could be

the futures main source of transportation.

The development of Electric vehicles hasn’t been great over the entire course. The first

electric car dates back to 1890 by William Morrison, a chemist that lived in Iowa. The car topped

out at a speed of 14mph, close to many internal combustion engines of the time. For a couple of

decades sales of electric vehicles were good; accounting for a third of all vehicles on the road.

Steam powered and gasoline powered vehicles had too many flaws at the time. But when Henry

Ford made the Model T, it blew away the competition. By 1912, gasoline cars were only $650

and a electric roadster was $1,750, leading gasoline vehicles to be an easy pick over electric. Gas

stations popping all over the country only made it worse, making the electric car non-competitive

to gasoline cars for a very long time. But recently improvements have been great, bringing

electrical vehicles back up to compete​ (Matulka 4).​ With a new face, being Tesla, to cause other

car manufacturers to make their own electric vehicles to just get their foot in the door. But

Tesla’s designs so far have been much more appealing to the public eye. With their modern look,
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it makes people think of the future.​ ​A hybrid design, of electric and gasoline vehicles have also

made a wave in the industry. The electric engines gives the the driver the edge on being able to

save a small amount on gas for short trips around town, instead of always using gasoline,

improving emissions as well​ (Miller 3).

Complete electric vehicles are emissionless vehicles when you don’t count in a few

factors. Electric cars need batteries to carry the energy to the motors. Batteries deteriorate over

time, and not a long time, most Tesla vehicles have needed battery replacement after 2-3 years.

These old batteries are a waste now, and we need a safe way to get rid of this waste. The

batteries carry lithium, which can be toxic to animals and people. As of now there is now

completely safe way of getting rid of this waste. Plus, mining for materials like lithium isn’t

good for the environment as well​ (ETCG1 2:58).​ As technology continues to advance we may be

able to find a safer material to use that is safe for the environment​ (Shultz 12). ​Now, hydrogen

fuel cell vehicles could be a completely emissionless way of transportation.​ ​They don’t use

batteries and they only use water as fuel ​(ETCG1 4:05).

​Electric Vehicles require charging instead of gasoline for fuel, and depending on the

source it could be bad. For example, if a coal mine is powering the electricity to charge the

vehicle it still emits pollution into the air. But if it’s solar powered or wind powered it’s truly

emissionless. As a business though, energy companies are more likely to not use solar and wind,

as it’s easier to maintain and not dependant on the weather or time of day ​(ETCG1 2:07).

Charging your car can be nice when you charge it overnight, and when you leave the house

you’re sitting at a full battery. But when you start to run low on energy you’ll need to charge

(ETCG1 3:02).​ There are more charging stations popping up around the globe, but not close to as
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many gas stations. Charging also takes around 30 minutes at a fast charging station​ (Gumtree 6),

and it’s much easier to just fuel up your gas tank and go in a gasoline vehicle​ (Riley 1). ​So, with

the technology we have today, electric cars aren’t equipped to go on long trips ​(CBS 0:54).

Another problem facing electric vehicles is the availability. The technology behind them

is still fairly new, and improving​ (Gumtree 8).​ Most people are unable to afford the new

technology behind this which may cause these new companies like Tesla to fall under

bankruptcy. Tesla does have a plan though, they just recently started selling their more

affordable version of the Model 3, starting at around $35,000. With the government supporting

this new technology and reduced emissions there is a rebate for people purchasing electric

vehicles. The total cost reduction is around $8,000, making these vehicles much more affordable.

Now these cheaper vehicles still are unlikely to be the households main car. The range on the

cheapest model car is only 220 miles, when most gasoline vehicles will get a hundred more miles

on a full fill up of fuel​ (CBS 2:00).

Electric vehicles have a lot of flaws but many people enjoy them still​ ( Fiero).​ “They are

for the people that really want to be a part of the future, they are very appealing.”​ (Mags 1:45)

Electric vehicles will really help in countries like China as well, where air pollution is a big issue

for the people and land ​(Fiero)​. Electric cars are much safer for the driver and passengers than

the internal combustion engines most people drive. There is no gas tank under you as you drive,

and they are doing very well in safety tests ​(CBS 1:34).​ They are also very pepping cars to drive.

They don’t have to shift gears, so they have all their torque from a dead stop​ (ETCG1 1:10).​ ​The

most affordable, Tesla Model 3, 0 to 60 mph time is just 5.6 seconds. Electric cars are much

more efficient as well​ (Explain that stuff). ​They are also much easier to maintain​ (EnergySage)​,
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no oil changes or anything like that​ (Gumtree 5). ​Looking ahead, more and more people will be

buying electric vehicles as prices drop and technology advances.

Electric vehicles seem like they are a safer and more earth friendly option when

compared to internal combustion engines, as of now.​ ​Looking into the future though, batteries

that wear after a few years and give off toxic waste, could be an issue​ (0:58).​ We, as a society,

will need to find a safe way to get rid of that waste, or find a better material to use in the batteries

to save our planet from future harm.

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Appendix A:

Appendix B:
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Works Cited

“Basics - Electric Cars Buying Guide.” ​Gumtree AU Support Knowledgebase​, Marktplaats B.V.,

2018,

help.gumtree.com.au/AU/articles/en_US/KB_Article/Electric-Cars-Buying-Guide-AU?v

group1=PKB&c=PKB%3ABasics&vcategory2=Selling_and_Buying_Guides&s=.

Riley, Chris. “Dispelling The Disadvantages Of An Electric Car.” ​AutoWise,​ AutoWise, 14 Feb.

2019, autowise.com/top-7-disadvantages-of-electric-cars/.

“Pros of Electric Vehicles.” ​EnergySage​, 17 Jan. 2019,

www.energysage.com/electric-vehicles/101/pros-and-cons-electric-cars/.

“How Do Electric Cars Compare?” ​Explain That Stuff​, 3 Dec. 2013,

www.explainthatstuff.com/electriccars.html.

Shultz, George Pratt. “Electric Cars.” ​Game Changers: Energy on the Move​, Stanford, Calif :

Hoover Institution Press., 2014, pp. 47–62.

Miller, John M. “Hybrid Vehicles.” ​Propulsion Systems for Hybrid Vehicles,​ 2nd Ed. Stevenage :

The Institution of Engineering and Technology., 2010, pp. 1–66.

Eric The Car Guy. ​The Pros and Cons of Electric Vehicles​. ​The Pros and Cons of Electric

Vehicles​, ETCG1, 7 Jan. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B0vEHpDQxY.

CBS, CBS. ​Benefits of Owning an Electric Car.​ ​Benefits of Owning an Electric Car​, CBS, 26

Apr. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_saWI88CjFo.

Fiero, Caleb, and Rhonda Fiero. “Electric Vehicles.” 24 Feb. 2019.

Matulka, Rebecca. “The History of the Electric Car.” ​Department of Energy​, 14 Sept. 2014,

www.energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car​.
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