Efficiency Information on Electric Cars
Average operating costs for gasoline-powered vehicles are 10 times that of operating an electric vehicle. Some batteries of electric vehicles can be plugged into an outlet and charged in as little as 20 minutes, according to the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association. Electric vehicles protect the environment by significantly reducing carbon emissions. And they are significantly more efficient than gasoline-powered vehicles and thereby help reduce travel costs.
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Efficiency
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Electric cars have a driving range of between 100 and 200 miles, according to Fueleconomy.gov. Gasoline-powered vehicles can travel approximately 300 miles on a single tank of fuel. Electric motors convert approximately 75 percent of chemical energy to power wheels. Internal combustion engines only convert 20 percent of energy from gasoline to power fuels. Charging an electric vehicle can cost less than $1 per day, according to Greencar.com. This is significantly less than gasoline-powered vehicles.
Performance
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The current speed record for an electric car for a quarter-mile drag race is approximately 230 kilometers per hour. The car covered the distance in 8.8 seconds, according to the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association. Some electric cars in production can travel from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in five to seven seconds. This is fast as a Ferrari or a Corvette. Electric motors have extremely high torque, much greater than that of internal combustion engines.
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Benefits
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Electric cars do not release carbon emissions, according to Fueleconomy.gov. This helps reduce carbon emissions and slow global warming. Electric vehicles are quieter than internal combustion engines. Electric cars reduce dependence on foreign oil and help local economies because electricity is a domestic energy source.
Considerations
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Battery packs of electric vehicles are extremely bulky, heavy and take up lots of space, according to Fueleconomy.gov. Adopting electric cars and getting rid of gasoline-powered cars would help protect the environment while stimulating a green economy. More solar power, wind mill and hydroelectric energy jobs would open up to meet the electricity demands of electric vehicles.
Misconceptions
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Electric cars don’t produce any carbon emissions directly, but the energy to produce the electricity for the electric car may release carbon into the atmosphere, according to Stanford University. If fossil fuels are burned to create the electricity, carbon is still being released into the atmosphere. If clean energy sources such as solar and wind power are used to create electricity for an electric car, however, almost no greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere.
Quick Fact
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Recharging the battery of an electric vehicle typically takes between four and eight hours, according to Greencar.com.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit futuristic electric car image by Michael Shake from Fotolia.com
