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.

In cold weather electric cars must divert their energy to providing heat, which a combustion engine does simply by running. 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:

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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.

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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.

Electric Car Advantages

1. Produces significantly less emissions during driving.
2. 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
3. Produces full torque from the first instant (hence, high performance).

Electric Car Disadvantages

1. Twice as much harmful emissions during the production of an electric car than a traditional car.
2. Expensive initial cost of an electric car.
3. Even more expensive maintenance and repair costs, due to a more complicated design and heavier reliance on complex, costly semiconductor chips.
4. High exposure of passengers to EMF radiation due to reliance on electricity rather than combustion.
5. 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)
6. 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)
7. 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.

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.

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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

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A North Carolina State University study showed that a nation full of electric cars powered will make no ecological difference. 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.

See also

• Tesla Motors
• Chevrolet Volt
• Nio