We may think that electric cars emerged not so long ago, but it’s wrong. The first electric car was developed at the end of the 19th century, but the prototype was very different from the electric cars we see now. However, it’s great to see that people started to think about the harm the fuel cars did to the environment so long ago. Some are even converting their existing classic cars to electric vehicles for sustainability. Modern electric cars are almost as good as the fuel ones, and sometimes even better. Electric vehicles can reach high speeds, drive large distances without recharging and save driver’s money. The number of these cars grows every day, and the most widespread question that comes to mind is: Will electric vehicles fully replace ordinary cars or not?
We want to believe that electric vehicles can replace fossil fuel cars fast, but statistics show that this transition needs time. And even 5-10 won’t be enough. Here are the valid arguments for it.
1. Infrastructure
Let’s take the USA, for example. The current percentage of electric cars on US roads is 1% or even less. Biden plans to have zero emissions by 2050, and this goal will be rather difficult to achieve. One of the most important obstacles is infrastructure. People who own fossil fuel cars have no difficulties with finding a gas station to get gas: even the smallest towns have at least one such facility. Do they have charging stations? Of course, they don’t. Nowadays, there are about 50,000 such stations in the US, and it’s an extremely low number. To be exact, it’s two times less than the number of gas stations. So, people don’t just feel that owning an electric car is convenient.
2. Price
All people who are interested in cars know that electric cars cost higher. Moreover, the used electric cars don’t cost much cheaper as fueled cars do. Let’s not forget that cars are the most widespread mode of transportation in the US. Both young and middle-aged people purchase them. Students who want to buy a car would likely purchase fossil-fueled ones. Of course, they may need to work hard for some time to get the necessary sum faster. Custom writing essay service can help them maintain a good level of academic performance while working. They just place an online essay order and go earn money. However, when one of them wants to purchase an electric car, it’s even hard to estimate how many years they should work.
3. The replacement of fuel cars
Well, the ordinary US family has at least one and sometimes even several cars. Let’s imagine that the government requires all citizens to move to electric cars. It means all people will stop buying fuel vehicles. There’s a question: what should these families do with their old fuel cars? Do they need to try to sell them? But who will be ready to buy such a car? This issue is rarely taken into account, and it’s wrong. The optimal solution for the government is to start a trade-in program that would let people turn in fuel cars and purchase new electric vehicles at a lower price.
4. The range
Nowadays, only Tesla cars may boast of having a good battery life. For example, the latest Tesla Model S can drive up to 400 miles on one charge. The range of other cars is even shorter. We understand that technologies continue to develop, and there will be a day when electric cars will travel up to 1000 miles. But when will it be? The current situation with the electric vehicles’ battery life and the lack of infrastructure make the full transition to eco-friendly cars impossible. Also, let’s not forget that driving an EV in cold seasons is challenging: the batteries used now can’t perform well when it’s cold outside. That’s why engineers have to work on a new type of battery.
5. Maintenance
Sometimes, the maintenance of electric cars is even cheaper than that of fuel cars: you don’t need to change fluids, brakes wear slower, and the overall number of moving parts that can go wrong is lower. However, there’s one aspect that still makes the maintenance expensive enough, although it’s not regular. It’s a battery replacement. All batteries have the so-called expiration date and are supposed to have a certain number of charging cycles. Do you change the battery in your smartphone when it stops retaining charge as well as it did at the very beginning? The car battery requires the same.
6. Time
How much time do you need to fuel an ordinary car? A few minutes. It’s not so easy with electric vehicles. If you need to charge your car battery, be ready to wait 2-3 hours. Transition to EV makes people completely change their lifestyle and daily routine. Not all of them may purchase home charging stations and have to use public ones. We need to work on fast charging technology to make electric cars match the rhythm of modern life.