Electric Cars: Advantages and Disadvantages

This report from Desklib explores the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars, including their impact on the environment and running costs. It also covers how the UK government is supporting the transition to electric vehicles. The report includes a reflective statement on the research process and development of academic skills.

Skills Topic 2: Electric
Cars

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................1
3.Literature Review .....................................................................................................................1
3.5 Advantages of electric cars ...................................................................................................2
3.3 Disadvantages of electric vehicles.........................................................................................3
3.5 How the UK government is supporting the transiting to electric vehicles?..........................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Reflective statement...............................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The electric vehicles include car, trucks of all size, transit buses are partially powered by
electricity (Chandler, 2019). Electric vehicles help the environment to be clean, safe and also
prevent from pollution, hence, it is better for the climate as well. These vehicles have low
running cost as it can be easily get charged at home with the electricity. A person who is learning
to drive can learn easily through electric vehicle as it is slow and do not require any efforts to
move. The best part of these vehicles is that it is eco-friendly which is not at all harmful for the
human beings as well as nature. There are different gases through which the environment is
badly affected so people came up with a solution to use electric vehicles instead of using petrol
or diesel products.
The report highlights the organisational skills, time management and listening skills for
taking note. For improvement and enhancement of academic writing, integrated information
from suitable sources of literature. It also covers the plagiarism, academic integrity as well as
referencing of the report.
MAIN BODY
INTRODUCTION
Electric cars, nowadays are more preferable as the rates of petrol gets high so people are
setting their mind according to them (Din and Barbu, 2021). The main issues which are arising in
these cars are that these cars do not cover long distance so people lack here. Electric vehicles
benefit an individual as it does not require any fuel which save money on gas and also it is
environment friendly as they do not emit pollution. As the electric cars have efficient electric
motor which leads to lower their maintenance. It also has better performance as compared to
other vehicles which results into increasing sales of the product.
3.Literature Review
According to Robert Anderson (Robert Anderson, 2022) the inventor of first crude
electric carriage, electric cars are used best for covering small areas with less amount. Electric
cars are more preferable nowadays, as the rate of petrol or diesel has increased so people who
can afford to buy these vehicles are going for it more. There are some pure electric cars which do
not even produce carbon dioxide emissions while driving. It has smaller carbon footprint than the
gasoline-powered cars and prevent the environment from pollution. A person can get better
1

driving experience by the electric cars and also people having these cars got free parking in all
the parking areas. It keeps the surroundings and environment clean as well as safe which is good
for survival of human beings. They do not have any congestion charge and also it consists of less
running costs which is affordable by the people. It also helps in reducing noise pollution as these
vehicles do not create any noise while driving. The electric car has regenerative braking which
keeps a person safe while easing off the accelerator. The service provided by the company is less
expensive as the vehicle contains only few parts to repair which are not so much costly. These
vehicles also have the benefits of tax as well as financial, as registration fees and road tax on
buying it are less than petrol or diesel products. Depending on different states there are various
incentives and policies made by the government on these vehicles. The accessibility fossil fuel is
limited and by using it destroys the planet which affect human beings as well. These are easy to
drive and also avoid noise pollution which is the best part of these vehicles as it does not harm
the environment. It is convenient to charge the vehicle at home as electricity is required which is
easily available at everyone’s house.
The electric car
An electric car is an automobile which contains one or more electric motors and only
uses the energy stored in batteries (Enyedi, 2018). The key components of electrical car include
battery, charge pot, DC converter, electric traction motor, on-board charger, power electronics
controller, thermal systems, traction battery packs, transmission. The most important benefit of
an electric car is that it helps to improve air quality in cities and towns. These electric cars are
beneficial for environment as they release only few greenhouse gases and air pollutants than
diesel or petrol cars. Electric cars help to save on operating cost as it includes less parts which
leads to reduction in damage.
3.5 Advantages of electric cars
Cleaner environment: One of the huge reason of destroying our environment is the
impact on the environment (Polasek and Danko, 2022) as these cars emit fewer greenhouse gases
as well as air pollutants than diesel or petrol. Due to this it takes into consideration, the
production and electricity generation to keep them running. It promotes clean and clear
environment which helps the managers and consumers to survive. The area does not get polluted
2

through these vehicles which is safe for the people living around as well as the owner who is
selling it.
Lower running costs: As the electric vehicles have less parts, regenerative braking and
cost efficiency which helps the people to maintain it for a long time (Jones,2019). The cost of
service decreases to less than 50% as the vehicle do not require any frequent service. The
managers earn from its value of selling it and keeps a huge margin in servicing the particular
vehicle. This is beneficial for both the customers as well as the managers of the company.
Better driving: The electric cars have more responsibility of acceleration braking while
easing off the accelerator. Because of the regenerative brakes built in the vehicles, which helps
them to slow it according to them. A person who is in the learning stage can learn how to drive
from electric vehicles, also this helps them to keep the particular vehicle in control.
Reduce noise pollution: These vehicles benefits in reducing noise pollution, while
driving it do not get any crash sound which comes from every vehicle (Shuts, 2019). The
environment gets affected in a positive way as which creates a surrounding of better
environment. A healthy and safe environment is created while driving the vehicle as it decreases
pollution, noise pollution
3.3 Disadvantages of electric vehicles
More emission: Creating of more electric cars results in high emissions, the required raw
materials while making car have to be mined and also process of mining generate huge
greenhouse gases (Macioszek, 2021). It emits more emission which is not healthy for the
environment as well as human beings as it is not safe.
Costly: The electric cars can be expensive to purchase for some people; everyone cannot
afford to buy it. As these cars have very less parts so it has very less servicing cost, but high
price if a person wishes to purchase the same. It is a bit costly for people who are below the
average line which affects the sales of the company and then people switch to other vehicles.
Cover less area: These cars are restricted with the speed and usability of the particular
product, and to charge them, it takes more than half an hour of charging with high voltage
charging point. These electric vehicles have a limit of travelling from one place to another so it
cannot cover long distance.
Time consuming: These vehicles are very time consuming as they are required to drive
slow and also it has some restricted speed limit which cannot be exceed in any case (Neves,
3

Marques and Fuinhas, 2018). It takes too much time to charge and also moves very slow. It
moves slow due to which it consumes too much time which leads to late arrival at destinations.
3.5 How the UK government is supporting the transiting to electric vehicles?
Electric vehicles carry lot of benefits as these are eco-friendly which keep the
environment clean, safe and pollution free (Meckling and Nahm, 2018). UK government is
supporting these vehicles through many ways, one of those is providing electric car grant. The
government provide car gran through the department for Transport's office for Zero emission
vehicle. This grant make ownership affordable to more drivers as it is designed to make
transition to electric car. The reason behind providing this grant is that those batteries which are
involved in producing electric cars are more expensive. The government is also trying to initiate
the process of making charging points across UK. There are also government incentives for cost
of home charging points for both used and new electric cars buyers. These grants are funded
from cash of tax payers, distribution by OZEV etc. These grant payments are not even made
directly to consumers, claim to be made after each sale is made.
TASK 2
2.1 Reflective statement
Gibbs reflective model is framework which is used to examine individual experiences to
learn and plan things from those experiences (Deutsch and Strack, 2020). It helps an individual
to learn from past experiences and to create an action plan from those things which does not
went well. People can make sense of an experience in relation to themselves, others, and the
circumstances that led up to it through reflection. They are able to reimagine the experience as
they see fit, which will benefit them personally or professionally in the future. This model helps
people to reflect on learning experiences which helps to improve their experiences. This model
involves six stages those are explained below:
Description: It is the description of experience such as what has happened, when does it
took place, who were present, what was the outcome etc (Wang, Tang and Pan, 2019). I enrolled
myself in the module Academic study skills to learn and improve my skills. I was assigned a task
which involved why electric cars are becoming popular in recent time. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of electric cars to people, government as well as environment? I was having a
4

less knowledge about electric cars so it was challenging for me to do research on it. My research
skill was weak so it created difficulty in finding details. I gathered lot of information about
electric cars and it was confusing for me to select the genuine information. My time management
skills were worst so it was challenging to complete the work on right time. Overall I learned a lot
about electric cars and what are their benefits to the environment and also people. I improved my
research skills and also took command over managing my time properly.
Feeling: This component is all about the thoughts about the experience like feeling,
thoughts, emotion, beliefs of an individual during the situation (kanga, Hill and MacDonald,
2017). I felt very excited and confident upon enrolling myself in Academic study skills module. I
felt a little bit nervous at the time of receiving an assignment as a part of module. I lost my
confidence as this topic of electric cars involved so much research and my skills were not
appropriate. I motivated myself as there was lot of work to do and was very time consuming. My
time management skills were also not good so I was scared of not being able to complete the
work on time. I got quite frustrated during collection of information as was getting confused. I
also felt guilty as there was an outing plan with my family but that got cancelled due to my
assignment. But looking back I am satisfied that the work was completed on time with good
efficiency.
Evaluation: It is all about focusing on the overall good or bad experience of the situation,
what contributions were made (Iqbal and Mia, 2021). The thing which went well was that I
completed my assignment on time despite of bad time management skills. I performed my
research work well and collected meaningful information. All work went well and I learned more
new things and also developed some skills like time management, research skills. The things
which does not went well were that I thought it would be easy for me to get unique information.
Collecting information took too much time as it was very confusing for me. I collected all the
information and organised it with the help of my father.
Analysis: This component involves making sense of what has happened and developing
an understanding about it. All over the work went well at the end but process was very
challenging and involved lot of hurdles. I think the reason of confusion while collecting
information was my bad research skills. It was so challenging to manage my time for each
activity and had to cancel family outing plan due to assignment. I gathered all the information
and that evaluated what can be put in to the assignment. Firstly, I researched about evolution of
5

electric cars in to the world and what advantages and disadvantages it brings to people as well as
the environment. Whenever I got frustrated my father motivated and helped me to complete my
project. He also helped me in gathering and organising the relevant information. I felt happy to
get guidance from my father in completing the assignment.
Conclusion: This is the overall summary of what had happened, what could have been
done better to make situation more effective (Kono, Ito and Loucks-Atkinson, 2021). I gained a
lot of knowledge about electric cars and what advantages they possess and also disadvantages. I
performed each task with full enthusiasm, felt motivated and even got frustrated some time. I
also developed skills like research and time management. At last I completed my assignment on
time and with full efficiency which motivated me to develop more skills and do more
assignments in future. I was motivated upon completing the project effectively and received
good grades for my hard work.
Action plan: This involves summarising all the things which should be known and also to
remember the learning and actions which can be taken for improvement (Park, Lee and Chae,
2017). The new knowledge I gained from dong this assignment is that knowing the advantages
and disadvantages of electric cars for the society. This knowledge can help me further in my
future projects or assignments to do them more efficiently and effectively. I developed my time
management and research skills which will help me to do my work with effectiveness and on
right time. If an assignment like this is being assigned to me in future than I will gather
information in a systematic manner to avoid confusion.
CONCLUSION
From the above information it is asserted that electrical vehicles help to reduce pollution
and are very easy. Electric vehicles benefit to keep the environment clean, safe, pollution free
and are eco-friendly. Electric vehicles use electricity to charge itself rather than fossil fuels like
diesel, petrol etc. Electric vehicle has the capability to work with no noise as there is no engine is
present under the hood. The advantages of Electric cars include clean environment, lowering
running cost, better driving and reduced noise pollution. The disadvantages of electric cars
include more emission, costly to purchase, cover less area and are time consuming due to slow
speed. The report contains a reflective statement which is presented with help of Gibbs' reflective
model. Gibbs reflective model is a framework used by an individual to evaluate past experiences
6

and ascertain learning out of that. Gibbs reflective model includes six components such as
description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan.
RECOMMENDATIONS
By evaluating the above information, it is ascertained that electric cars also contain some
drawbacks so manufacturers must try to eliminate or lower those disadvantages. The
recommendations for manufacturers of electric cars are:
 The production of electric cars creates more emission which is the major drawback of it
and it should be eliminated. The manufacturing industry must advance its technology and
make manufacturing of these vehicles emission free.
 The manufacturers must decrease the price of electrical cars so that more number of
people can buy these vehicles. The industries can take the advantage of grants introduced
by government and decrease their cost of production. Decreasing cost of production will
help the industries to reduce the prices of these cars which will increase the sales.
 The electric cars give less average and are slow in speed which restricts the buyer to buy
them. The manufacturing industry must use innovative technology and increase the
average of electric cars so that it can run on average speed and attract buyers.
 The electrical vehicles take more to get charged which creates problem for public as it
becomes time consuming. The manufacturing industry must advance technology in order
to decrease the charging time for charging of vehicle.
7

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Chandler, M.A., 2019. The Tech Behind Electric Cars. Capstone.
Din, M.I. and Barbu, A., 2021. The Factors That Influence the Acceptance Level of Electric
Cars. FAIMA Business & Management Journal. 9(4). pp.5-19.
Enyedi, S., 2018, May. Electric cars—Challenges and trends. In 2018 IEEE International
Conference on Automation, Quality and Testing, Robotics (AQTR) (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
Jones, S.J., 2019. If electric cars are the answer, what was the question?. British medical
bulletin. 129(1). pp.13-23.
Macioszek, E., 2021. The Role of Incentive Programs in Promoting the Purchase of Electric Cars
—Review of Good Practices and Promoting Methods from the World. Research
Methods in Modern Urban Transportation Systems and Networks, pp.41-58.
Meckling, J. and Nahm, J., 2018. When do states disrupt industries? Electric cars and the politics
of innovation. Review of International Political Economy. 25(4). pp.505-529.
Neves, S.A., Marques, A.C. and Fuinhas, J.A., 2018. On the drivers of peak electricity demand:
What is the role played by battery electric cars?. Energy. 159. pp.905-915.
Polasek, M. and Danko, M., 2022, May. Testing of batteries used in electric cars. In 2022
ELEKTRO (ELEKTRO) (pp. 1-5). IEEE.
Shuts, V., 2019. Cassette robotized urban transport system of mass conveying passenger based
on the unmanned electric cars.
Wang, N., Tang, L. and Pan, H., 2019. A global comparison and assessment of incentive policy
on electric vehicle promotion. Sustainable Cities and Society. 44. pp.597-603.
Deutsch, R. and Strack, F., 2020. 12 Changing Behavior Using the Reflective-Impulsive
Model. The handbook of behavior change, p.164.
Ikanga, J., Hill, E .M. and MacDonald, D. A., 2017. The conceptualization and measurement of
cognitive reserve using common proxy indicators: testing some tenable reflective and
formative models. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. 39(1).
pp.72-83.
Iqbal, M. M. and Mia, M. M., 2021. STRATEGY OF SUSTAINABILITY: A REFLECTIVE
MODEL VALIDATION BY AMOS. Academy of Strategic Management Journal. 20.
pp.1-12.
Kono, S., Ito, E. and Loucks-Atkinson, A., 2021. The measurement model of leisure constraint
https://www.energy.gov/timeline/timeline-history-electric-car#:~:text=Around
%201832%2C%20Robert%20Anderson%20develops,an%20English%20inventor%20in
%201884.negotiation in leisure-time physical activity context: Reflective or
formative?. Journal of Leisure Research. 52(1). pp.120-127.
Park, S., Lee, H. and Chae, S. W., 2017. Rethinking balanced scorecard (BSC) measures:
formative versus reflective measurement models. International Journal of Productivity
and Performance Management.
Online: Robert Anderson, (2022), [Available through]
<https://www.energy.gov/timeline/timeline-history-electric-car#:~:text=Around%201832%2C
%20Robert%20Anderson%20develops,an%20English%20inventor%20in%201884.>
8

9