Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars: A Comprehensive Study

This report provides a comprehensive study on the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars. It discusses the benefits of electric cars such as no gas requirement, better for the environment, safe to drive, low maintenance, reduced noise pollution, easy driving method, high performance/energy efficiency, and better fuel economy. However, it also highlights the limitations of electric cars such as batteries requiring rare metals, manufacturing electric cars creating more emissions, short driving range and speed, charging times, battery replacement being expensive, not suitable for cities that face power shortage, charger compatibility, availability of charging infrastructure, and electric cars being expensive.

Academic Study
Skills

Table of Contents
TASK 1......................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................1
Advantages of electric cars....................................................................................................1
Disadvantages of electric cars................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................6
TASK 2......................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................9

TASK 1
INTRODUCTION
Electric cars come in the category of automobile that requires an electric motor for its
propulsion. It makes use of only energy stored in batteries. With the ability to reduce
emissions and protecting the environment, electric cars are being preferred by majority of
consumers (Gelmanova and et.al., 2018). The year 2021 saw a tremendous increase in the
sale of electric cars which nearly doubled. It is predicted that near future, the largest
automotive market will be occupied by the electric cars. The present report will explore the
topic of electric cars and their use. Advantages and disadvantages of electric cars will be
discussed along with the specific reasons as well as examples.
Electric cars
Electric cars are vehicles consisting of a battery and an electric motor in place of a
gasoline tank and an internal combustion engine, respectively. As these cars use motors, they
provide a cost- effective means of transport as there is no requirement of fuel and taxes.
Further, harmful gases such as carbon dioxide are also not emitted by them. Another special
feature of electric cars is that they make use of electricity for charging their batteries
(Helmers, Dietz and Hartard, 2017). Electric cars are not only more efficient but also proves
to be a convenient option than those vehicles which need filling petrol or diesel.
Working of electric cars
A large traction battery pack is used by the electric cars to which provides power to
the electric motor. This traction pack requires to be plugged in to a wall outlet which is also
called electric vehicle supply equipment. As the car runs completely on electricity and there
is no liquid fuel used, there is no exhaust emitted from the tail pipe.
With all the special features, electric cars are considered to be capable of shaping the
transportation sector as these can drastically cutdown the carbon emissions and contribute to
climate protection and environment conservation (Tuan and et.al., 2018). However, there are
certain concerns surrounding the use of electric cars that make it important to study their
advantages and disadvantages in detail.
Advantages of electric cars
No gas required
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Electric cars on require electricity for running. There is no need for filling any fuel.
Rising prices of the fuels have been a concern for people these days. This indicates that riding
fuel -based cars can be expensive as the princes of fuels continue to rise. There are also other
opportunities available which may make electric cars even more attractive than the diesel
ones. For example, if solar energy is used for charging the cars, this may be an even higher
advantage of electric car as it may aid in cutting the price.
Better for the environment
One of the biggest advantages considered for electric cars is that they have a green
credential. These are considered to be highly ecofriendly as they run on engines which are
powered by electricity. Hence, they reduce the burden on the fossil fuels such as petrol. Also,
electric cars do not emit toxic gases and smoke (Bobeth and Kastner, 2020). This does not
harm the environment and hence electric cars are considered to be environment friendly. In
this way, these cars contribute to a green and clean environment.
Electric cars are characterized by zero exhaust emissions. Though these cars do have
greenhouse gas emissions. But if it is charged using a solar PV system, the green house gas
emissions can be reduced even further. Another option that can be utilized to add to the
benefits of electric cars is to purchase a green power from the electricity retailer. Inn this
case, even if the car is being charged using electricity grid, the power will come from
renewable energy sources.
Safe to drive
Electric cars are subjected to the same testing and fitness procedures as is done for
diesel and petrol cars. The center of gravity of the electric car is low which makes it safer to
use. This factor also makes these cars much more stable on road in the situation of a collision.
In addition to this, if a collision occurs, the airbags open and the electricity supply from the
batteries is cut. This prevents the people sitting in the car from sustaining serious injuries
(Rotaris, Giansoldati and Scorrano, 2021). Further, as there is absence of any fuel or gas
which can be combustible, the electric cars are less likely to explode.
Low maintenance
Electrically powered engines are responsible for running electric cars. Therefore,
there does not arise any need for lubricating the engines. Gas engines require a number of
maintenance tasks which are not needed in the electric cars. Expensive engine work is not
required in these cars. Standard gasoline cars need to be sent to the service stations often but
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this is not the case with electric cars. As a result of all the above factors, the maintenance cost
of electric cars is low.
Reduced noise pollution
Electric cars cut down on noise pollution as they are quieter. They are also capable of
providing the experience of s smoother drive along with higher acceleration.
Easy driving method
Electric cars comprise of a driving method which is simple. In the commercial electric
cars, there is a transmission which comprises of only one long gear. These cars also do not
have any stalling problem as compared to other petrol cars (DeRousseau and et.al., 2017).
Therefore, there is no need for adding clutch mechanism in these cars. Hence, electric cars
can be operated with just an accelerator pedal, break and steering wheel. Regenerative
braking is another feature in electric cars.
High performance/ energy efficiency
Electric cars are more efficient as compared to other cars. Gasoline engines offer efficiency
of only 15 per cent. As compared to this, electric cars are capable of offering efficiencies of
around 70 percent, efficiency here, can be considered in the form of fraction of energy which
is required for propelling the vehicle in comparison to the amount of energy produced when
fossil fuel is burnt.
Better driving
Electric cars are characterized by more responsive acceleration. These also comprise
of the feature of regenerative breaking which accelerator is eased off. The low center of
gravity assists in better handling of car and easy driving (Wilberforce and et.al., 2017). This
provides comfort and safety to the people.
Fuel economy
As the electric drive components have a higher efficiency, the electric cars are capable
of reducing fuel costs dramatically. The reliance of electric cars on the electric power is the
reason behind the measurement of their fuel economy in a different manner as compared to
that of other conventional vehicles. The common metrics are miles per gallon of gasoline
equivalent and kilowatt hours per 100 miles. Better fuel economy is achieved by electric
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vehicles which also have lower fuel costs. As compared to other similar conventional
vehicles.
Disadvantages of electric cars
Batteries require rare metals
The batteries used in electric cars need large amount of lithium which under normal
conditions is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element. Electric cars also use other
metals such as coper, cobalt, manganese, nickel and aluminum (Karczewski, Szczęch and
Polak, 2019). Cobalt has toxic properties and is mostly mined by miners who lack protective
equipment. Sources of lithium are not sufficiently accessible.
Manufacturing electric cars creates more emissions
The sourcing of components for electric cars and its manufacture requires various
processes. For making electric cars, various components such as the metals needs to be
mined. This process generates various green house gases. Further, these raw materials require
refining processes which also adds to the green house gas emissions. On an average, 7 to 10
tons of carbon dioxide is also released during manufacture of petrol or diesel cars. But, in
electric cars, the emissions released during manufacturing of batteries also need to be
considered. For making the electric car of a decent range, 9 tons of carbon dioxide is released
for manufacturing the battery. Therefore, a total of 16 to 19 tons of CO2 is emitted during
manufacture of electric cars (Singh, Bansal and Singh, 2019). This indicates that it has more
devastating effects on the environment as compared to a normal car.
Short driving range and speed
Electric cars suffer with the limitation of speed and range. Most of the cars have a
limited range of only 50 – 100 miles. These needs to be charged again after every 50- 100
miles. Therefore, they cannot be conveniently used for long journeys.
Charging times
For electric vehicles, there major types of chargers are available. These include 120
volt chargers, 240 volt or ‘level 2’ and level 3 chargers. For 240 volt chargers, the same outlet
type can be used as is used for clothes dryers or electric ovens. Levels 3 chargers are direct
current fast chargers which have the capability to charge the battery for 30 minutes. In the
current situation, level 2 chargers are most widely available (Gelmanova and et.al., 2018).
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While filling up a gas station requires 2-3 minutes, an electric car may take hours for getting
fully charged. This time may vary depending upon the model of the car.
Battery replacement is expensive
Replacing the battery packs in electric cars is expensive. This is because, batteries are
considered to be amin reason behind higher initial costs of electric cars.
Not suitable for cities that face power shortage
Electric cars need power to charge up. Therefore, those cities which are already facing
a power shortage would not be suitable for electric cars. This is because these vehicles will
consume more power which will impact the daily owner needs of such places. However, the
matter I concern is the installation cost of the charging station. Also, the decisions regarding
the choice of chargers to be installed requires creating a fine balance between the needs of
drivers and cost of installation.
Charger compatibility
Different auto manufacturer uses different types of chargers in the vehicles. For
example, CHAdeMO is used by Nissan and Mitsubishi while the Tesla Supercharger is
available to only the Tesla Drivers. This indicates that charger compatibility to the gas
stations is a big concern to be considered by the electric car drivers (Helmers, Dietz and
Hartard, 2017). There is lack of vehicle compatibility which differs from access of universal
vehicle to the gas stations. It could act as an obstacle to widespread adoption of the electric
cars.
Availability of charging infrastructure
In order to run, it is necessary for the electric vehicles to be charged at electrical
outlets. Most of the people prefer the arrangement of a wall mounted charger at home in their
garage. This is because an average person requires to drive 29 miles per day. This distance
comes within the range of electric vehicles which are capable of travelling 150 to 250 miles
after charging. However, the people living in apartments face issues as parking infrastructure
is not always equipped with charging arrangement.
Electric fueling stations are still in the stages of development. The se may not be
available at a number of places where people go on a daily basis. This means that if an
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individual is on a long trip, or go in a rural or suburban area, he may not be able to charge the
vehicle due to lack of charging stations.
Power sources for electric cars is a concern
Electric cars are only as green as their power sources. The environmental impact of
electric cars may vary depending on the sources from where they derive power. While a coal-
fired power station emits 800-850 grams of CO2 per kWh, a gas- fired power station is
cleaner and emits only 350- 400 grams of CO2 per kWh. When electric car is charged by
using a renewable energy source, its impact on the environment is much less as compared to
charging it using a coal- fired power station.
Electric cars are expensive
The purchase price of electric cars may be higher as compared to a petrol or diesel
car. This is because in the production of battery for electric cars, expensive material and
processes are used (Tuan and et.al., 2018). This may make them less competitive to their
gasoline counterparts.
CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that electric cars have tremendous amount of
opportunities in future owing to their special features as compared to other conventional
vehicles. However, it is important to consider the benefits and limitations of these cars. they
have a number of benefits. No gas is required by the electric cars which eliminates the need
for filling fuel. They are considered better for environment as they have a green credential.
Being run on electricity, these cars are highly ecofriendly due to their ability to not emit any
exhaust. The center of gravity in these cars is low which not only makes them more safe but
also assists in making the driving comfortable and convenient. Electric cars also provide the
benefit of being low maintenance. They reduce noise pollution in the environment and
provide high performance and energy efficiency. However, electric cars also have some
disadvantages which cannot be ignored. the batteries which are used in these cars are made
from rare metals. Manufacturing electric cars creates more emissions. Their driving range and
speed is less and charging times may act as an obstacle. The battery replacement is expensive
and availability of charging infrastructure may also be a challenge.
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TASK 2
The module taught me a number of skills and provided knowledge regarding
important topics. One of the most important learning from the module was regarding the
research skills which were gained from completion of various assignments. From the above
research conducted, I gained immense knowledge about the methos of research as well as
about the topic. I also learned organization skills as before stating the research, I organized it
into various sections. I conducted preliminary research on the topic and divided it inti various
tasks. Following it, I took systematic research on each part of the topic. In this manner the
above research conducted helped me to learn a systematic way of conducting research on any
topic. Secondly the above research also helped me to learn about electric cars and their
future. I learnt about various aspects associated with electric cars such as their demand, their
working, benefits and limitations. In this way, I learnt how a topic a explored from broader
sense to more specific details by conducting systematic research on it.
From the completion of the research, I learnt the importance of exploring both
positive and negative aspects of a topic. This is because in the research, I not only focused on
the benefits of electric cars but also on their limitations. Further, from the completion of the
above research, I also learnt the importance of dividing a topic into various parts before
exploring it. This assists in gaining information about the topic in a detailed and organized
manner. I also gained knowledge about the ways of conducting in depth research on any
topic.
While finding research for this assignment, I faced some difficulties. A lot of content
was available regarding the electric cars and their benefits and limitations. From the vast
quantity of matter, it was difficult to decide the suitable content that could be taken and the
content that need to be avoided. This took some time and after conduced a skimming reading
of few sites, I could understand the important content that need to be included and other one
that could be avoided. another difficulty that I faced was to search for authentic sites that
could provide reliable information about the topic.
Some difficulties were also faced while studying for the module. Limited time was
available for studying he module and various tasks were needed to be accomplished. Hence, I
was required to apply effective time management skills so that the various tasks could be
accomplished in the available time. There are a number of things that I enjoyed about this
assignment firstly, I enjoyed choosing from among 4 interesting topics, one topic to be
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researched. I chose the topic of electric cars as I found it interesting and unique. Further,
when research was to be conducted, I enjoyed exploring this topic and the various aspects
related to it. I found the process of conducting research enjoyable. With a single search, I
received so many results on the internet. Following it, I went through each site which
provided some new piece of information about the topic. This process of conducting research
on the topic and gaining information was interesting.
Various lessons were learnt during the module and the assignment. I learnt that a
combination of various skills is requires for successfully completing an assignment. For
completing this assignment, I utilized organization skills, time management skills and
research skills. The right combination of these skills is required for conducing the
assignment. Another lesson learnt was regarding inclusion of only useful information for the
assignment. On the internet, wide amount of information was available regarding the topic,
but the assignment had to be completed with the provided world limit. Therefore, I learnt the
lesson of excluding unnecessary information. Further, I also learnt valuable lesson about
presentation of the information. As the assignment was an essay, I presented the information
under proper headings.
There are some potential areas for improvement. Writing a report and its presentation
comprise of various aspects. The report needs to be presented in an appropriate format. The
present is one area that could be improved further to make the report even more appealing
and captivating. Writing skills also need to be improved to involve more content in a specific
and concise manner. This assists in proving vast amount of information in lesser number off
words. As a large amount of content was available for this topic, and it became a challenge
for me to select the important one that could be included, I feel that writing skills need to be
improved even more. This will help in including more quantity of information in the limited
wordcount.
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REFERENCES
Journals and Books
Bobeth, S. and Kastner, I., 2020. Buying an electric car: A rational choice or a norm-directed
behavior?. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. 73.
pp.236-258.
DeRousseau, M. and et.al., 2017. Repurposing used electric car batteries: A review of
options. Jom. 69(9). pp.1575-1582.
Gelmanova, Z.S. and et.al., 2018, Electric cars. Advantages and disadvantages. In Journal of
Physics: Conference Series. 1015(5). p. 052029. IOP Publishing.
Helmers, E., Dietz, J. and Hartard, S., 2017. Electric car life cycle assessment based on real-
world mileage and the electric conversion scenario. The International Journal of Life
Cycle Assessment. 22(1). pp.15-30.
Karczewski, M.E., Szczęch, L.P. and Polak, F.K., 2019. Analysis of electric vehicles
efficiency and their influence on environmental pollution. Journal of KONES. 26(4).
Rotaris, L., Giansoldati, M. and Scorrano, M., 2021. The slow uptake of electric cars in Italy
and Slovenia. Evidence from a stated-preference survey and the role of knowledge
and environmental awareness. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and
Practice. 144. pp.1-18.
Singh, K.V., Bansal, H.O. and Singh, D., 2019. A comprehensive review on hybrid electric
vehicles: architectures and components. Journal of Modern Transportation. 27(2).
pp.77-107.
Tuan, N.K. and et.al., 2018. World trends in the development of vehicles with alternative
energy sources. ARPN Journal of engineering and applied sciences. 13(7). p.2535.
Wilberforce, T. and et.al., 2017. Developments of electric cars and fuel cell hydrogen electric
cars. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 42(40). pp.25695-25734.
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