Electric car

Henney Kilowatt, the world's first transistor-controlled electric car.

Venturi Fetish, a limited production electric car capable of reaching 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds

An electric car ("EV", for "electric vehicle") is a type of car that runs on electricity. Because it runs on electricity it is a zero emission car, a car that doesn't produce pollution at the point of use. It is probable that some type of fossil fuel would have been used to generate the electricity in the first place, in some cases all the electric car really does is move the pollution somewhere else. There is no environmentally safe means of disposal of the 900-pound battery required for electric cars.^[1] "Electricity isn't very green," John Stossel observes.^[2]

Most states impose a special annual tax on electric cars, ranging from $50 (Colorado) to $225 (Washington).^[3]

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the ratio of chargers to EVs is an astronomical 24 to 1, as of 2023. At taxpayer expense, the Biden administration attempts to open 500,000 new charging stations by 2030 and spend billions on EV infrastructure.

In 2023, news of Toyota developing a battery that has a range of 750 miles on only a 10-minute charge opens up new possibilities for the industry.^[4]

Electric cars are unreliable, as assessed by Consumer Reports: "Electric vehicles are among the least reliable cars and trucks in the automotive industry today, according to Consumer Reports rankings released Tuesday. When compared with hybrid and gas-powered cars and trucks, electric vehicles powered entirely by batteries were the worst-performing segment, aside from traditional full-size pickup trucks, according to Consumer Reports."^[5]

Leftists in California, Germany, and elsewhere are trying to deny future access to anything other than an electric car, the use of which can be easily limited by government control over electric power. "California is currently asking residents not to charge electric vehicles between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. due to another energy shortage in the midst of a statewide heat wave, prompting growing public skepticism of Newsom’s electric vehicle mandate."^[6]

In cold weather electric cars must divert their energy to providing heat, which a combustion engine does simply by running.^[7] It is predictable that electric cars that are stranded in snowstorms will be unable to continue to heat the car as a traditional engine would.

Local opposition to new electric car manufacturing plants is vocal and overwhelming. Concerns include possible pollution of the local water supply by the toxic materials used:

“

How will the water supply be protected?

... Some yard signs have begun popping up in Social Circle, population 4,974, in Walton County. In the smaller neighboring Morgan County community of Rutledge, on the other side of the planned plant, a “Rutledge Opposed to Rivian Assembly Plant” Facebook group has about 770 members, almost as large as the town’s population.^[8]

”

On August 20, 2021, General Motors recalled all of its 2017-2022 Bolt EVs and all its 2022 Bolt Electric SUVs ("EUVs") because of a risk of fire in their lithium batteries.^[9]

Electric Car Advantages

Produces significantly less emissions during driving.
Charging is about $2.44 per charge (on average, depending on where you live and what time of day you recharge) vs. Average Tank of Gas ^[10]
Produces full torque from the first instant (hence, high performance).

Electric Car Disadvantages

Twice as much harmful emissions during the production of an electric car than a traditional car.^[11]
Expensive initial cost of an electric car.^[12]
Even more expensive maintenance and repair costs, due to a more complicated design and heavier reliance on complex, costly semiconductor chips.
High exposure of passengers to EMF radiation due to reliance on electricity rather than combustion.
Relatively smaller range (the exception being extended range-EVs, which have gasoline generators on board, allowing these cars to have the same range as any other traditional gasoline powered car) ^[13]
Limited access to charging facilities (while homeowners can charge EVs with any standard 120 volt outlet or have a 240 volt charging system installed in their home, many city dwellers and those without the ability to charge their EVs at home will depend on recharging their EVs at public charging stations, of which there are currently very few)
Limited battery lifespan (like with any rechargeable battery, the maximum charge held by an EV's battery will eventually decline, requiring the replacement of this very expensive battery system; manufactures generally claim about a 10-year lifespan for their EV's batteries.)

Hype vs. Facts

Zero emissions sounds wonderful but it's not entirely true. While electric cars typically emit less CO₂, over its lifetime a Tesla S will emit about 13 tonnes of CO₂. The production of its batteries alone will emit 14 tonnes.^[14]

Coal power still accounts for 39% of America's electricity power. This means that electric vehicles will still be responsible for producing CO₂. In these states, a traditional car has less of an impact to the environment.^[15]

“

In coal-fired Colorado, a gasoline car with fuel economy better than 35 miles per gallon will be better for emissions than the average electric car

”

A North Carolina State University study showed that a nation full of electric cars powered will make no ecological difference.^[16] This is due in part to its production costs, rare metal mining, energy consumed over its lifetime.

The battery is the heart of electric cars. Disposal of batteries is an environmental concern. Dead ones can't be tossed in a landfill and few companies will recycle lithium batteries and electric cars have many large batteries. Seasonal weather changes, such as extreme cold, affect battery performance. In 2014, batteries measured to be half as efficient than in normal operating temperatures.^[17]

Subsidies

As an example in 2022 of excessive government subsidies for electric cars, "Michigan has effectively agreed to compensate GM more than $310,000 for each job created, but during the next 20 years, the positions are unlikely to generate more than $100,000 in tax revenue in the very best case scenarios."^[18]

Electric car stocks

Electric car stocks, which can be very volatile, include TSLA, LCID, RIVN, FSR, and NKLA.

On October 10, 2022, Rivian (RIVN) stocks slid 9% on its announcement that it is recalling nearly all its vehicles.^[19]

Postal Service

^[20]

History

Electric vehicles (EVs) are vehicles that are propelled by an electric motor, rather than a conventional internal combustion engine. Like with any creation, there are its benefits and its drawbacks.

Electric Vehicle and the Economy

Electric vehicles are great for vehicular diversity which creates competition. In a free market system, when competition is created the consumer wins. This is because gasoline car companies and electric car companies work harder and harder to convince you to buy their product. As a result, they have to bring the best performance to the table at lower and lower prices.

Range

Most EVs on the market in 2011 are pure electric vehicles, having only a rechargeable battery and electric motor on board. This limits the range of the vehicle to the maximum change able to be stored in the car's batteries (which decreases with continual recharging). The Chevrolet Volt, an American-built electric car, is, however, the first and currently only extended-range EV, meaning that it has a gasoline generator on board that produces electirical power to drive the car's motor when the batteries are depleted. This gives the Volt a 400-mile range on a single charge and tank of gas. The Volt only requires one of its power sources to operate at any one time (thus it can run entirely on electricity stored in batteries, entirely on gasoline, or both simultaneously), thus the Volt, as apposed to all other EVs in 2011, can be driven like a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle with many of the advantages of an electric motor as the power-plant of the vehicle (e.g. full torque from the first instant). Some manufactures of pure EVs have attacked the use of a gasoline generator on the Volt, touting their pure electric vehicles as the more environmentally conscious option, hoping to paint the Volt and future extended-range EVs as harmful to the environment and attracting more environmentalists to their products (see Nissan Leaf^[21]).

2013 Sales

As of the end of 2013, electric vehicles sales have risen to over 96,000 (168,000 since 2008), though this still represents less than one percent of all vehicle sales. The number of models has risen to sixteen with more in the planning stages.^[22]