There is a strong case to be made for industrial societies to change over to renewable sources of energy. At the centre of the debate is the unsustainable continuing fossil fuel usage and the attendant environmental degradation. The United States is one of the largest consumers of fossil fuels in the world and has been a major contributor to greenhouse gas induced global warming. Hence it is only logical that it takes a leadership role in adopting renewable energy practices across the board. As of today, less that 10 percent of energy usage is tapped from renewable sources such as wind energy, hydroelectric energy, solar energy, etc (Bradley, 2000, p.24). Though the transition will not be without its share of practical difficulties, persisting toward a renewable energy future is a wise and noble goal for policy makers in the country. The first major step toward that end would be to support manufacturing and marketing of electric cars (either purebred or hybrid) so that it replaces conventional fossil fuel dependent cars in the country. This essay will further analyze the impact electric cars will have on the fuel consumption patterns in the future.
One of the major reasons for the push toward electric cars is the energy efficiency it offers consumers. That is, if in the near future, electric cars were to replace gasoline/diesel powered cars then the users will save money by virtue of using a more efficient power system. In the words of Robert Ayres and Ed Ayres,
“We may be encouraged by the advent of plug-in electric cars, but while the average mechanical efficiency of an electric motor is around 80 percent (depending on size, speed, etc.), the charge-discharge cycle for the battery itself probably loses 20 percent each way, so a car using plug-in electricity from a 33-percent-efficiency central power plant might have an overall efficiency around 16 to 18 percent. That is a lot more efficient than a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle operating in city traffic, but still ends up letting five of every six barrels of oil-equivalent go to waste”. (Ayres, 2009, p.23)
Scientists also argue that those who switch over to electric cars in the future will benefit from improved payload efficiency as well. This is particularly useful for those in the transportation and cargo industry who move tons of goods across the globe. Even in transporting people electric cars offer better payload efficiency. For example, while conventional motor cars have a payload efficiency of 2-3 percent, an electric car offers a minimum of 4 percent (Ayres, 2009, p.24). Not only do these benefits accrue to the general consumer but it would also have an effect on the overall economy. Even as early as the mid 1990s, economists asserted that a decrease in the demand for gasoline and the proportional increase in demand for electric cars would help the country’s balance of trade position by reducing the quantity of imported oil. If most Americans switch to electric cars in the future, it essentially means that the country is switching away from importing oil. As of now, “we’re importing about $65,000,000,000 [of oil] a year, and our trade imbalance is $90,000,000,000, so oil is a substantial part of the trade imbalance that is slowly making us bankrupt”. (Ayres, 2009, p.24)
The only concern with using electric cars is the increase in coal consumption it will entail. But analysts maintain that it is much easier to contain pollutants in a coal-fuelled plant than in controlling the exhaust emissions of automobiles. Another significant way in which the fuel consumption of the future will be different is the usage if rechargeable batteries that store up electrical energy and convert it into mechanical energy that powers a car. One of the leading experts on battery technology is Stanford University chemistry professor John Ross. He explains that in
“The future of the electric automobile depends on the development of a practical battery with a useful range, something that so far has eluded engineers. One using nickel metal hydride may be the answer. This is a new battery, which is non-toxic, environmentally green, and requires no maintenance. The nickel metal hydride battery satisfies almost all the requirements for an intermediate battery for electric vehicles set by the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium, a Department of Energy-headed group consisting of Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, and the Electric Power Research Institute.” (Kennedy, 2008, p.51)
In recent years, many top car manufacturing companies in the United States have started manufacturing cars that utilize electric power as opposed to gasoline. Manufacturers such as GM, Nissan and Ford have already announced their electric car models which will hit the roads in the near future. GM’s Chevy Volt which debuted in January of 2007 is described as a sleek, environment friendly car. It is designed as an ‘extended-range’ electric car that, “after charging its battery pack overnight via a standard wall outlet, can be driven up to 40 miles powered by electricity alone. That’s just about the maximum distance 78% of Americans drive in a given day, according to a 2003 U.S. Bureau of Transportation survey. For drivers travelling beyond that range, a gas generator kicks in to power the electric motor. In that scenario the Volt will get around 50 miles per gallon, compared to 46 mpg for the Toyota Prius, the Japanese automaker’s existing game-changer” (Kennedy, 2008, p.51). Ford has also announced its Focus line of electric cars that are due to be inaugurated in 2011. Nissan is slated to release its EV-02 model in the near future as well. The EV-02 is “capable of charging overnight from a 220-volt outlet, the EV-02 will probably have a top speed of about 85 mph and a 100-mile range. The boldest claim is that it will cost no more than your average compact car, which is less than $30,000”. (Fletcher, 2009, p.17)
Developments such as these are encouraging in terms of the future of our environment. But given the recent global economic crisis some of these plans may not come through. Already, the news of GM’s bankruptcy is a major setback for the prospect of electric car. Added to this the powerful oil companies in the United States have deployed lobbyists in the House of Representatives and the Senate to enact legislations that are favorable to their industry. Such pressure tactics could further setback the electric car future. Already there have been instances when electric car marketing efforts were rolled back and terminated due to pressure from vested interest groups. The documentary film ‘Who Killed the Electric Car’ records this event, where toward the late 1990s, an array of electric car and hybrid models were recalled from the automobile market due to pressure from oil companies and other vested interests. (Bradley, 2000, p.24)
Given the gravity of environmental problems that we face, policy makers have to remember that issues such as environmental degradation, polluted air, global climate change, neo-liberal capitalism, etc are all intricately linked to one another. Hence a radical alternative economic model to the prevailing neoliberal globalism should be sought out and implemented. At the centre of this new economic model would be the principle of sustainability, which would embrace and promote renewable energy sources while at the same time relegating the stature and consumption of oil. Until such a drastic transformation comes about in the near future, the future of our environment and our species, let alone the future of electric car, is at jeopardy.
Works Cited:
“Alarm in ‘Electric Car’; Some Optimism, despite Cool Public Industry.” The Washington Times 21 July 2006: D02.
Ayres, Robert U., and Ed Ayres. “A Bridge to the Renewable Energy Future: Renewables Are Coming Fast. in the Meantime, Here’s a Largely Overlooked but Potent Way to Minimize Fossil Fuel Use and the Damage It Causes.” World Watch Sept.-Oct. 2009: 22+.
Bradley, Robert L. Jr. “Electric and Fuel-Cell Vehicles Are a Mirage.” USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Mar. 2000: 24.
Fletcher, Seth. “Electric Cars Charge Ahead.” Popular Science Aug. 2009: 17.
Kennedy, Sean. “Plugged In: Can General Motors’ Innovative Electric Car-Coming to You as Early as 2010-Live Up to the Hype? Sean Kennedy Looks under the Hood of the Chevy Volt.” The Advocate 6 May 2008: 50+.
“New Battery for Electric Cars.” USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Aug. 1993: 13.