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Why Electric Vehicles Are The Future

Electric vehicles (EVs), unlike their traditional, mainstream counterparts, run fully or partially on electric power (TWI Global). They are usually less expensive, especially in terms of maintenance because there are less moving parts. Instead of a gas tank, EVs run on batteries and an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine (United States Environment Protection Agency, n.d.)

 

With 20% of carbon emissions coming from the transport sector, the governments of most developed countries continue to encourage their citizens to pivot towards using EVs (Sanguesa et al., 2021).

 

 

In this article, we’ll look at three main reasons as to why EVs are the future, in light of this global push towards their usage. 

 

Global pivot towards away from fossil fuels 

The global energy crisis that we are currently experiencing is projected to worsen in the upcoming months, as energy expert, Jason Bardoff from Columbia University warns (Lu, 2022). Some industry experts, such as Union Bank of Switzerland analyst Giovanni Staunovo, expect the oil prices to continue to rise (Somasekhar, 2022). This is in response to the gradual reopening of China’s economy after closing its borders as part of its Zero COVID Policy and the expected increased travel as Europe enters its summer months. 

Because of this, the world is looking to reduce their reliance on fossil fuel energy and pilot towards more sustainable options, such as clean energy. The European Union has taken the first step into reducing its reliance on oil, specifically Russian oil. This came in the form of the REPowerEU plan, a plan to swiftly reduce the reliance on Russian oil imports and to address the climate crisis (European Commission, 2022). Even the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries support a future with a diverse mix of energy sources, the bulk of which is comprised of clean energy (Hadid, 2016). 

 

With the global withdrawal from overreliance of fossil fuels, traditional vehicles are likely going to be less used, ushering an era of EVs. In fact, EVs are gaining more and more popularity, as there has been an increased of sales in 2022 fueled by the rising fuel prices (International Energy Agency, 2022).

 

Less pollution emitted

Another reason as to why EVs are the future is because of their environmentally-friendly innovation. EVs produce zero pollution, whether it is tailpipe pollutants, CO2, or even nitrogen dioxide (Sanguesa et.al., 2021). This is a massive improvement from traditional, oil-powered cars, which emit at least four types of pollutants: carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and even particulate matter for diesel vehicles (Environmental Protection UK, 2007). 

While the batteries of electric vehicles do produce emissions when charged and are adverse to carbon footprint during production (Environmental Protection UK, 2007; Sanguesa et.al., 2021), this is still minuscule compared to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to traditional cars.

 

Because EVs produce virtually no polluttions, they are considered to be the best alternative in addressing climate change caused by green house gas emissions. 

 

More energy efficient 

Lastly, EVs are generally more energy efficient than their oil-powered counterparts (Sanguesa et.al., 2021). The way to quantify the efficiency of vehicles is to use the well-to-wheel (WTW) ratio. EVs that run on renewable energy can have an energy efficiency of 70% WTW, while diesel-powered cars are only at a measly 25% to 37%. While there are still improvements to make the battery more energy efficient, the mere conception of EVs alone prove that they are perfect for a more innovative future. 

 

References:

Environmental Protection UK. (2007). Car Pollution. Environmental Protection UK.

European Commission. (2022, May 18). REPowerEU: A plan to rapidly reduce dependence on 

Russian fossil fuels and fast forward the green transition* [Press release]. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_3131

Hadid, Z. (2016, April). OPEC Commentary Bulletin April 2016. Organization of Petroleum 

Exporting Countries. https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/press_room/3467.htm

International Energy Agency. (2022, May 23). Global electric car sales have continued their 

strong growth in 2022 after breaking records last year – News [Press release]. https://www.iea.org/news/global-electric-car-sales-have-continued-their-strong-growth-in-2022-after-breaking-records-last-year

Sanguesa, J. A., Torres-Sanz, V., Garrido, P., Martinez, F. J., & Marquez-Barja, J. M. (2021). A 

Review on Electric Vehicles: Technologies and Challenges. Smart Cities, 4(1), 372–404. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010022

Somasekhar, A. (2022, June 21). Oil ticks higher on strong demand, tight supply. Reuters. 

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-rises-market-caution-over-supply-concerns

TWI Global. (n.d.). What is an EV (Electric Vehicle)? 

https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-an-ev

United States Environment Protection Agency. (n.d.). Explaining Electric & Plug-In Hybrid 

Electric Vehicles. https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/explaining-electric-plug-hybrid-electric-vehicles