Disadvantages & Benefits of Electric Cars

• Learn the advantages and disadvantages of electric carsluxury car - model toy car image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com
  
  Electric cars were originally used during the pre-Gulf oil price boom period when energy and transportation needs were far more limited. In the 21st century, the concept has returned to center stage of American transportation, since oil is an expensive, scarce and exhaustible resource. According to Hybrid Cars.com, an estimated 5,000 vehicles today run solely based on electricity. The highest concentration of these vehicles is in California. As with any other type of vehicle, electric cars come with a set of advantages and disadvantages.
  
  

Requires No Oil

• The fact that electric cars need no gas or diesel is their biggest advantage. The car runs on an electric motor instead of an engine that needs gasoline to start. Instead of a gasoline engine, an electric car has an electric motor. That electric motor receives power from a DC controller located under the hood. The controller gets its power from a rechargeable battery that charges when you hook the car up to the charger. The car knows how much power to use because the accelerator pedal is hooked to potentiometers (which are visible resistors) which signal to the controller how much power to deliver to the engine (just as the gas pedal would in a standard car). The electricity for such cars causes less damage to the environment than refineries that produce gasoline. In addition, an electric car is cheaper to run and maintain because it doesn't rely on fossil fuels, which are still subject to high prices.
  
  

Environmentally Friendly

• Gas emissions are a hot topic of controversy, with the debate focusing on the greenhouse effects of emissions. An electric car is a zero-emissions vehicle. According to Hybrid Cars.com, a switch to electric cars in just a handful of major American cities could bring down the emission of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons by a whopping 98 percent within the cities.
  
  

Inefficient for Sustained Use

• The major disadvantage of electric cars are that they aren't practical for sustained use. Electric cars cannot hold a charge for long periods of time. On average, it is possible for the car to run between 50 and 130 miles on an eight-hour charge. Furthermore, charging the vehicle is difficult when on the road, since there is no electric equivalent of a gas station. Electric cars can run up to the same speeds as standard vehicles, but tend to have much smoother and quieter rides than standard vehicles, which can make the driving more pleasant. However, electric cars also tend to be on the small side, since a larger vehicle would require a larger battery and more frequent recharging. One extreme example of a small electric car is the three wheeled electric vehicle produced by Myers motors which fits only one passenger.