Environmental Co2 Issue: Why Electric Cars Are More Ecological

Abstract

The research accumulated in this report is focused on the possibility of electric cars replacing conventional cars, the implications of this transition and why are electric cars better for the environment. This topic was chosen because it is currently a worldwide issue due to high amounts of Co2 emissions. Two interviews and a survey were conducted to explore different components of this topic. It was found that electric cars should replace conventional cars however, as of right now electric are too expensive for people to purchase. It is been recommended that electric should replace conventional cars as they will help reduce co2 emissions and improve the environment of the world.

Due to the worldwide popularity of petrol-fuelled cars, the environment of the world has begun to become an inhabitable place for humans. With the non-stop Co2 emissions currently being produced all around the world, world leaders and citizens of the earth are constantly seeking other resources for sustainable transportation. The most logical and sensible option currently in today’s world would be electric-powered cars. In order to make a future recommendation, it is important to understand past and present events that have led to this worldwide crisis and investigate the advantages and disadvantages of each car.

1973 Oil Crisis

In 1973, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to ban the United States from international trading (Oil Embargo). The U.S. made a decision to re-supply the Israeli army for peace negotiations. OPEC also expanded their international trading boycott towards other countries who were supporting Israel, this includes Portugal, Netherlands and South Africa (Oil Embargo). Petrol cars were heavily affected in these countries, especially The U.S where many people own petroleum cars. Hundreds of cars were lining up at petrol stations, desperately trying to fill up their cars (refer to figure 1 and 1.2). If this were to happen again, the petrol price will be heavily increased at petroleum car owners. There is only a finite amount of fuel on earth which makes people wonder, when will petrol run out? According to a report from British Petroleum, the oil reserves left in this world is sufficient for only 53 years (George, P 2014). British Petroleum published this report in 2014, this report could be changed because energy companies all around the world are constantly revising the amount oil reserves.

History of Petrol cars

Some of the earliest cars invented were steam-powered engine cars, however, it wasn’t until 1885 that the first gas-powered car was introduced. Karl Benz was a German engine designer and an automobile engineer, he was the inventor for the first ever gas-powered car that was practical for everyday people (The first automobile 2019). However, this car had no windows, doors or even a proper steering wheel for maneuvering the vehicle. Henry Ford came up with his own automobile in 1906 which was a bit more luxurious than Karl Benz’s car. Henry Ford’s car came with safety features and other accessories that are still used to this day, this includes seatbelts, windshields, speedometers and rear-view mirrors (The first automobile 2019). As of right now, petrol cars have become more modern with luxurious features. There are also cars that are both petrol and electric, this type of car is called a hybrid car. A hybrid car uses an electric motor and a combustion engine which is powered by the car’s batteries (U.S. Department of Energy n.d). The batteries recharge themselves by the regenerative braking system and the internal combustion engine (U.S. Department of Energy n.d). These features of a hybrid car will enable a better fuel economy for its consumers, this will also improve the air pollution because it does not emit greenhouse gasses as much as a normal conventional car would.

Impacts on the Environment

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a type of gas that is odourless and incombustible. Co2 is a product of human/ animal respiration or combustion (YOUR DICTIONARY n.d.). The natural production Co2 does not pose any threats to the environment (Carbon, SE 2018). However, if significant amounts of Co2 was produced over a long period of time, the environment of the planet will gradually become harmful for any living creature.

One of the main causes of Co2 production are vehicles that use fossil fuels. Vehicles such as boats, trucks, cars and aeroplanes produce heavy amounts of Co2 which has consequently increased the rate of global warming. Before the age of the industrial revolution, the atmosphere of the world was well balanced. Greenhouse gasses were being produced and absorbed at a stable rate (Platt, J 2013). The temperature was also at a stable rate as global warming did not matter because of the miniscule amounts of CO2 being produced (Platt, J 2013). This changed when humans began to tamper with the balance of Greenhouse emissions. Due to the increase in greenhouse emissions, people are trying to minimize CO2 levels in the atmosphere by reducing their own carbon footprint. One of the most popular and effective methods of reducing carbon footprint is through purchasing and using electric cars. Electric cars do not produce any greenhouse gasses, in fact they do not produce any type of gas at all. Electric cars do not burn gasoline and do not have a tailpipe. Therefore, electric cars or vehicles do not generate any type of greenhouse gasses (Anair, D & Mahmassani, A 2014). Whilst electric cars do not emit greenhouse gasses, using coal to produce electricity emits a lot of greenhouse gases. So what does it take to produce clean electricity for an electric car?

How do Electric Cars Improve the Environment?

Electric cars do not emit greenhouse gasses by themselves, which means using an electric car does not pose a threat to the environment. However, manufacturing an electric car creates more greenhouse emissions than the average petrol car. This was supported in an interview with a car enthusiast, the interviewee stated that “The cars themselves don’t harm the environment but to produce the batteries and to produce everything else that makes the car, harms the environment” (refer to appendix 1 for more information) (Papageorgiou, P 2019). To produce an electric car that has a range of 250 miles per charge will generate global warming emissions that are 68% higher than manufacturing a normal gasoline vehicle (Hanley, S 2018 ). However, this is changed when these electric cars are being driven. Since there are no greenhouse emissions being produced, the amount of global warming emissions emitted during manufacturing is offset after eighteen months of use (Hanley, S 2018). Another solution to decrease the impact on the environment would be finding a form of sustainable transportation.

The future of sustainable transportation

With the rise of greenhouse gasses emitted every year, world leaders and car companies are devising solutions for sustainable transportation. For example, a company called LEVC are trying to reduce air pollution in London by reducing gasoline-powered “cabs” and replacing them with electric-powered vehicles. It is estimated that there will be nine thousand electric cabs on the road by 2020 next year. Since electric cars are growing in popularity and mass production, there can be a lot more improvement to the infrastructure, manufacturing process and sustainability. It is true that to produce the electric car itself emits more greenhouse gasses than the average gasoline car, however, the process of manufacturing can be improved in the future that will emit less CO2 in the atmosphere (Team Uniti, U 2019). Electric cars also use less materials than the average gasoline car. A normal conventional car would need to have an engine, axles, crankshafts, batteries and many more. On top of that, all of these components need to be checked after six months of use. Since electric cars are still evolving, it is possible that an electric car in the future will have much less components (Team Uniti, U 2019). This was also supported in an interview conducted with a car enthusiast, the interviewee predicted that electric cars should have less componentry. The source of electricity also plays a big role in powering electric cars. Electricity can be produced in many different ways. The most environmentally damaging method of electricity production is converting coal into electricity. However, there are many more ways for electricity to be produced including wind turbines, solar panels, and water turbines. If the electricity production system becomes cleaner in the future, then electric cars will be a very sustainable way of transport (Team Uniti, U 2019). Although electric cars might be the answer to sustainable transportation, for electric cars to completely replace petrol cars will take decades. In a survey conducted with 10 people. 70% answered that it will take 0 -50 years, while the other 30% answered 50 – 70 years.

The cost of an electric car

In an interview conducted, the interviewee estimated the price of an electric car starting at 40,000 dollars and upwards, this also depends on the type of electric car being purchased. The constants costs of an electric car depend on what location it is in. In Australia, the normal rates for charging stations are $0.25 per kilowatt hour. Currently, in 2019, gasoline cars are more affordable to purchase than electric cars. Tesla, which is one of the most famous electric car brands in the world are currently selling their cheapest model at $79,100 dollars, whereas the price of the latest model of the Toyota Camry starts at $31,357. The average south Australian wage is estimated to be $75,369, this means that the average south Australian would not be able to afford a Tesla electric car (LivinginAustralia 2018). For those who buy a brand-new Tesla-branded electric car, charging at any of the available stations are free for as long as the ownership lasts. Tesla is an electric car company that produces top-of-the-line electric cars, their electric cars can even charge from home using solar panels. This was supported by a Tesla electric car user in an interview conducted for this investigation ().

Recommendation

The primary and secondary research gathered, it recommends that electric cars should replace normal conventional cars within the next decade. As normal conventional cars continue to harm the environment with CO2 emissions, it has become more and more clear that a new form of sustainable transportation needs to be adapted to highly populated countries. In other words, electric cars are one of the most highly effective ways of preventing dangerous amounts of Co2 emissions. However, to achieve said ideology, car manufacturers need to mass-produce electric cars and make them more affordable.

Conclusion

The toxicity of the Co2 from vehicles should not be taken lightly. It is true that gasoline-fuelled cars are more affordable, however, electric vehicles will still take over the transportation industry in 10 or 20 years’ time. Electric cars are able to receive its energy source from various renewable energies whereas gasoline-powered cars rely on a constantly depleting energy source. As of right now, the issue with electric cars are the price, the source of electricity, and manufacturing pollution. If these three issues were to be solved, more electric vehicles will be able to decrease the air pollution in cities and function without leaving a carbon footprint.