Comparing the Pros & Cons of Electric Cars

There are many pros and cons to electric cars. Comparing them to gasoline cars, electric is definitely better for the environment. Although, they cannot travel as far as those running of gas. What are the pros and cons of electric cars? How does an electric car compare to cars that run on gas? These are a few of the questions that I will be answering about electric vehicles.

First, lets take a look at one electric car in particular; the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf will be hitting the market some time in 2010. This medium sized vehicle runs purely on electricity, and nothing else. It seats 5 people, and can travel out to a range of 100 miles. The Nissan Leaf is going to go for about $30,000.

Now if you're anything like me, your wallet probably just ran away. $30,000 can sound like a lot of money at first, but when you really think about it, all the benefits this vehicle has to offer can almost pay itself off in a way. The average cost to run the Leaf, or any other electric car, only costs 2 cents per mile; while the modern gasoline vehicle, costs 12 cents per mile. That makes the electric car about 84% more efficient in this particular area. Another benefit that will save you money, is the upkeep. The electric car has no dependence on oil, which means you won't need to waste your money on smog checks and engine oil.

Here are the pros of the electric car: runs on household electricity, no tailpipe emissions, 2 cents per mile, virtually silent, cheaper upkeep, and can be charged at home. Unfortunately, with pros, will always come cons. Cons include: only a 100 mile range, hours to charge, price of the vehicle, and lack of commitment by automakers to produce. I feel that the pros definitely out number the cons. It seems as though the only object to these new cars, is money.

If you plan to drive a long way however, electric cars are probably not the smartest route to go. Gasoline vehicles have a 300+ mile range, while the electric cars only have a 100 mile range. Cars that run on gas cost an average of 12+ cents per mile. You'll be able to easily go the distance in today's modern vehicle, but it will cost you.

Electric car motors get their energy from something called a controller. The controller regulates how much power goes to the engine, which is controlled by the accelerator pedal. The energy for the car is stored in rechargeable batteries.

By making and using hybrid cars, we've already taken the first step into advancing into this new generation of cars. New electric cars that are expected to hit the road in the next few years include: the BMW City, BYD E6, Dodge Circuit, Ford Focus EV, Mercedes Blue Zero, Mini E, Mitsubishi iMiEV, Nissan Leaf, Pininfarina Blue Car, Renault Fluence, Smart ED, Subaru R1E, Toyota FT-EV, Telsa Model S, Telsa Roadster, Th!nk City, and The eBox.

I think electric cars will be a great addition to new vehicles, and will change the future of car making forever. Hopefully in the near future, we can improve these models to the point where they have all the features of a gasoline vehicle, and more. If money is available, I will certainly consider buying one of these electric vehicles.

Works Cited:
Electric Cars, Hybridcars.com