Governments across the world are beginning to realize the importance of automobiles run by electricity. Without proper and proactive legislation the consumer pool for electric automobiles in general and electric cars in particular will not rise. In the context of this reality some of the states in the U.S. have passed laws requiring that a minimum percentage of sales made must be zero emission vehicles. Although the law does not explicitly mention electric car, they are the most feasible alternative as of now (Lave, 2005).
Also, helping the case for electric cars are chemicals such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds are extremely hazardous to humans as well as the ecosystems they live in. Several studies have shown that the exhaust gases released by petroleum run cars are the contributor to this pollution. This pollution has no small part to play in the general increase in temperatures across the world, also called “global warming”. At this juncture the introduction of electric cars in the market is not only a good business opportunity but a better alternative for humans and their environments alike. In this respect, the prospects are quite good for electric cars in the near future, until a better technology replaces it (Newbery, 2001).
On the flip side generating electricity for recharging batteries can lead to significant harm to the environment. A transition to electric cars, as made compulsory already in some parts of the world, is proven to be no more environment friendly than cars that run on low-emission petrol. Factories making lead-acid batteries would release higher levels of toxic lead. Low-toxicity batteries on the other hand are not yet suited for mass manufacture (Ochoa, 1997). The possible dangers of rechargeable batteries are illustrated in the following passage:
“For vehicles that are to be mass produced in the future, lead-acid batteries are likely to be the only practical technology. Smelting and recycling the lead for these batteries will result in substantial releases of lead to the environment. Lead is a neurotoxin, causing reduced cognitive function and behavioural problems, even at low levels in the blood (4). Environmental discharges of lead are a major concern. For example, eliminating tetraethyl lead (TEL) from U.S. gasoline greatly reduced blood-lead levels in children.” (Newbery, 2001)
Electric car manufacturing needs to be considered with caution for another reason. The alternatives that are available as a substitute for lead batteries include nickel-cadmium and nickel metal hydride batteries, which are of course costlier than lead based batteries. On top of that nickel and cadmium are very toxic substances to people and the environment, while newer technologies such as sodium-sulphur and lithium-polymer batteries are unlikely to be mass manufactured in the next decade or so. Taking this fact into consideration makes the case for electric cars a little weak (Ochoa, 1997). But when compared to toxic-emissive petroleum cars, they are much better though. So, in spite of these disadvantages and hurdles facing it, the electric car will have to arrive sooner than later in the automobile market (Newbery, 2001).
Electric cars have been faulted for their higher cost and relatively poor performance when compared with conventional cars. But more fundamentally, the problem lies in the fact that these versions “do not deliver the promised environmental benefits”. In addition to that, electric cars are estimated to release as many as “60 times more lead/km of use relative to a comparable car burning leaded gasoline” (Lave, 2005).. So, these disadvantages pertaining to its energy efficiency make electric cars economically unviable for most consumers. In summary, it could be inferred that Electric vehicles would emit lead-based toxins to aggravate the ozone layer. These lead emissions would damage ecosystems as well as human health. Even with gradual advancements in lead-acid based battery technology and stricter controls on re-processors and smelters, mass manufacturing of these batteries would still discharge huge amounts of toxins into the atmosphere. Hence,
“Electric vehicles will not be in the public interest until they pose no greater threat to public health and the environment than do alternative technologies, such as vehicles using low-emissions gasoline. Nickel-cadmium and nickel metal hydride batteries are much more expensive and highly toxic; they do not appear to offer environmental advantages. Sodium-sulphur and lithium-polymer technologies may eventually be attractive” (Lave, 2005).
But, in terms of economics and efficiency, electric automobiles do show a marked improvement over conventional modes of communication. Taking this fact into consideration The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) policy has drawn up a mandate “that requires the sale of electric automobiles to reach 10% of the state’s automobile purchases by 2010” (Ochoa, 1997. While the CARB acknowledges the potential health hazards that could result from this legislation, the economic advantages offered by these new vehicles is very alluring. For instance, the manufacturing of electric vehicles is estimated to create 40,000 new jobs across the state. Further, demand for these vehicles is expected to rise as well and it also provides the technology and a pool of skilled workers required to develop the market base. Hence, it is reasonable to presume that governments across the world will facilitate the manufacturing and innovation in this market (Ochoa, 1997.
Thus, there will be a demand for these cars when certain barriers are overcome. One such barrier is the availability of state of the art facilities for refuelling and recharging stations. The difficulty in bringing about such a result is that no business enterprise will make such huge investment and create required infrastructure without assurance that there will be demand for its services. Similarly, automobile manufacturers “will be loath to make the investment in electric-car development without similar expectations”(Wittenberg, 2001). In other words, what we have here is a problem of coordination. None of the parties involved might be willing to take a risky action that would be beneficial if and only if other parties did likewise.
There are some less obvious advantages too in encouraging electric car manufacturing. One such is the cascading effect any technological improvement will have on its allied industries. For instance, civilian air travel and the associated rise in productivity across the world would not have happened if not for the government support in terms of R&D funding for developing military aviation. Hence,
“Once knowledge has been created, the benefits of its use cannot be restricted to the supplier of the resources that are required to generate it. This is, in fact, a case of positive externalities: the benefits of R&D to the public typically exceed what any private party who is considering undertaking it can capture. Likewise, R&D efforts on electric cars would benefit the society in other ways as well” (Wittenberg, 2001)
Some positive developments are already to be seen. European car manufacturers lead the bandwagon of electric cars. For instance,
“One of the leaders is Peugeot, which has put out a car using nickel-cadmium batteries, with a range of 50 miles. Having successfully tested 500 of its cars in the city of La Rochelle, the Peugeot-Citroen group believes there will be around 100,000 electric cars in Europe by 2000 and plans to grab a quarter of the market; it produced more than 4,000 in 1996. Renault, meanwhile, sold 215 of its electric conversions in the first six months of last year. It will make 1,000 cars this year, and expects to continue increasing output in 1998. On a smaller scale, Fiat and Volkswagen are selling conversions, which they are reportedly making at a rate of about one a day, in Swiss cities.” (Mone, 2007)
The differences between electric cars and the conventional ones are quite wide. The transition to electric cars will not be easy for the following reasons: For example, “range, acceleration, average velocity, and discharge rate for an electric vehicle are critical design and operation parameters”. The practical range of the vehicle using electrical energy will always be less than what is theoretically possible. In addition to that, people driving electric cars must “accelerate and stop and they drive faster than the speed that maximizes range”. With regenerative braking too, starting and stopping of the vehicle will decrease the range. On top of that, “parasitic losses such as those from an air conditioner, heater, radio, and headlights decrease range”. And finally, full discharge of battery at every cycle brings down its overall life. Hence, there are many technical challenges that need to be overcome, before any headway could be made with the manufacture and marketing of electric cars (Mone, 2007).
In the final analysis, despite their current high cost and limited range, electric cars offer numerous advantages over cars of the present day. Their “relative noiselessness, practicality, and simplicity” will appeal to the new generation of consumers. Electric cars cost much less to recharge and maintain, and have the advantage offered by its fewer moving parts. Their owners consequently will spend less time and energy toward keeping the vehicle in prime condition, and may only rarely visit the service station. These advantages offer great value in contemporary societies. Hence, on a lifecycle basis, the cost gap between conventional vehicles that pollute and the electric ones that don’t pollute all that much is quite close. Quite soon, with “battery development and mass production”, it could be become a non-issue.
References:
The Car Industry: Who will clean up?(car technology and the environment). (Oct 1, 2007). Management Today, p.50.
Mone, G. (April 2007). Who Killed The Gas Guzzler, Popular Science, 270, 4. p.38.
Newbery, B. (Dec 2001). Mean lean green machines. (Alternative Transport)., Geographical, 73, 12. p.39(5).
Lave, L B, Hendrickson, C T, & McMichael, F. C. (May 19, 1995)., Environmental implications of electric cars., Science, 268, n5213. p.993(3).
Ochoa, E M, & Schurmann, K. (Spring-Fall 1997)., The economic case for electric car mandates., Business Forum, 22, n2-3. p.42(3).
Dunn, S. (March-April 1997). The electric car arrives – again. World Watch, 10, n2. p.19(7).
Wittenberg, D O (Spring-Fall 1997)., Charging ahead with electric vehicles., Business Forum, 22, n2-3. p.39(4).