Electric Cars: Advantages, Disadvantages and Future in the UK

This report discusses the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars, examples of electric cars, and the future of electric cars in the UK. It also includes a self-evaluation of the academic skills used to complete the report.

Study Skills

Table of Content.
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Background information about electric cars ...............................................................................1
Examples of electric cars ............................................................................................................2
Advantage of electric cars ...........................................................................................................2
Disadvantages of electric cars......................................................................................................3
Future of the electric cars in the UK ...........................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
SELF EVALUATION.....................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Technology has made the work of human beings more easier and convenient. Nowadays,
human beings life is fully dependent upon technologies. Due to advance technology travelling
has become smoother, people are able to connect each other within no time and more (Love and
Matthews, 2019). One of the best example of advance technology is increasing demand of
electric vehicle. Electric vehicle is one of the vehicle that uses electric motors or battery to
operate. Sometimes it can be charged with solar panels, fuel cells and with generator too. Electric
vehicle helps in controlling the fuel consumption as well level of pollution. Through this there is
reduction in carbon emissions. This particular report deals with the information associated with
the electric car along with some example. It also includes advantages and disadvantage of using a
electric car. In addition to it, self evaluation is also taken into the consideration.
MAIN BODY
Background information about electric cars
Electric vehicle has given more focus on renewable energy and this can be operated in
low cost also. The basic feature of electric vehicle is that it needs low maintenance cost and is
environmental friendly. This vehicle consume no fuel as it works on electric battery or cell.
Battery is placed in the engine in place of internal combustion engine (Jung, 2022). In order to
charge the battery pack or cell which the vehicle use it requires some charging equipment or
plugged wall outlet. This type of vehicle is operated on the basis of electricity that release no
exhaust from the engine. Electric vehicle don't need any liquid fuel like petrol, diesel and there
for this type of vehicle no fuel tank, fuel line are needed. Moreover, the cost price of electric car
is comparatively less than fuels vehicle. Some of the electric vehicle utilise lead acid or nickel
hybrid batteries to operate. With the purpose to have the battery who have longer life uses
lithium which can be cost effective to the customers. Such battery has excellent energy to run the
vehicle for longer distance and have long lasting retaining power. It has also increased efficiency
which can create various challenges while running the vehicle and there may be some issue with
the battery. For many people electric car is totally a new concept and it has started getting market
pace. Nowadays customers are demanding the electric vehicle keeping in mind the cost,
environment and most importantly their health. It is becoming the first choice of the consumers
because of increasing consumption of natural resources and increased levels of pollution. The
1

government of many countries are influencing consumer to use electric car with the purpose to
reduce the level of pollution. Therefore, for this government is providing different rebate in tax
and subsidies to the people so that they can buy the electric vehicle in low cost.
Examples of electric cars
The organisation which is providing customers with different electric vehicle in UK is
TESLA. It provide wide variety of electric vehicle to the consumers which have different feature,
colour, price, models and many more. Clients can choose the electric vehicle according to their
needs, preferences and budget (Proff, Szybisty and Fojcik, 2019). TESLA model X, TESLA
model y are some of the examples of electric vehicle which TESLA provides to its customers.
Another example of company which is providing customers with electric vehicle is Lucid Motors
which is an American electric vehicle manufacturer headquartered in California. This
organisation give more emphasise on adopting sustainable energy in order to provide the
customers with best services. The organisation also gives focus on environment. Some of the
model of electric vehicle which company provides to its customers are Lucid Air pure, Lucid Air
Dream Edition and many more.
Advantage of electric cars
In 21 st. century, the need of electric vehicle is increasing day by day due to the shortage
of fuels and non renewable resources. So, with the help of technology, electric vehicles have
came into the existence. With the utilisation of this, environment as well as health of both
humans and animals are being preserved. There are various advantage of using electric car which
are mentioned below:
 No requirement of Gas and Petrol: Electric car is a vehicle which is fully dependent on
the electricity. In order to operate the car electricity is necessary. This type of car don't
need any kind of gas or petrol. As the price of fuel is increasing day by day so the cost of
running a fuel based car can be costly for the people rather than a electric car
(Meinrenken, Shou and Di, 2020). In electric car, electric battery or cell is required by the
people which is comparatively cheaper than fuel. In electric vehicle consumer needs
electricity and charging tools. By the use of renewable resources, the people can
contribute towards the protecting the environment which is being degraded day by day
due to harmful activities of human beings. Using renewable energies also decrease the
cost of electricity.
2

 More convenient: Electric cars requires less maintenance and are more convenient to the
people. By charging the electric vehicle people can cover long distance travel very easily.
They don't need to frequently run to the fuel station with the purpose to charge the
battery. One of the best thing of electric cars are that customers can charge the battery at
home also (Meckling and Nahm, 2018). Electric car be operated by any individual as it
doesn't have complicated function like brake, acceleration and many more in them. The
battery or cell can be charged with public charger as well as from the home also. One of
the best feature of these type of vehicle are that it doesn't produce any noise while
operating it. This leads in reduction of noise pollution and very helpful for the health of
human beings.
 Savings: The price of electric vehicles are comparability less in comparison to the fuel
vehicles. So, the government also take initiative to make environment green by reducing
the tax rate and subsidy on electric vehicle. It leads the customers to save the money
which is one of the best advantage of electric vehicle. The people can do lot saving from
it as it requires needs less maintenance. These types of vehicle consists of less moving
parts in comparison to the fuel vehicle. It also don't need time to time service.
 Less emission: by the use of electric vehicle, people can contribute towards the
environment. Electric cars are charged through electricity so it doesn't need any fuel. So,
no smoke and gases are released from the vehicle. These types of vehicle are considered
as eco-friendly. There is no emission of smoke and gases due to which environment are
protected and remains clean (Marmiroli and et. al., 2020). Electric cars are better
compared to hybrid cars that run on a base of gas. Using electric car permit the people to
contribute towards the environmental condition, greener and cleaner. Driving an electric
car also assist a individual to protect the situation and besides this carbon footprints are
also reduced. There are no tailpipe discharge that assist to control the environmental
impact by charging it from the different option of renewable energy.
Disadvantages of electric cars
Electric cars has contributed a lot towards protecting the health of human as well as
animals. Through this the people are able to save lots of money and very convenient. But there
are lots of disadvantage involved while using the electric cars. As the concept of electric car is
totally new concept for the people. So, there are very few station to charge the electric car. These
3

type of vehicle requires more time to charge the battery or cell which can be very time
consuming. This can lead to the wastage of time of the individual. People might not feel
comfortable while buying such cars this is totally a new concept in the market. Some of the
disadvantages of electric cars as follow:
 Lower amount of choices: Electric cars demand are still a new concept in the market
and is still on the development phase. So the customers have very fewer options to
customise the electric needs according to their needs and wants (Thakre, Mane and
Hadke, 2020). At the same time, the customers have wide variety available with the
customisation of traditional cars. This can be changed in the future but this can be
disadvantage to the many people. If the government also motivate the people to buy the
cars then also people will think twice before buying it. As electric vehicles are also not
100% emission free so it causes little amount of pollution indirectly. It is true that the
cost of an electric vehicle is less in comparison to fuel-based vehicles but purchasing cost
of an electric vehicle is high.
 Finding a charge station: The disadvantage of using electric vehicle is that people have
to find the charging station. And as this is still in the development phase there are less
number of charging station (Stieneker and et. al., 2018). A person who charge the battery
or cell at the home might not face difficulty but there are other people who requires the
charging station. If they don't find any charging station then they might face some
difficulty. Generally people can face problem while travelling to the long distance. While
travelling to the long distance the charge might get finished due to this fear the people
usually don't prefer buying such kinds of electric cars. So, people prefer the vehicle
which requires fuel such as petrol, diesel while travelling to the longer distance.
 Not suitable for distance travelling: Electric car are made for the shorter distance
travel. Through such type of vehicle people usually don't prefer travelling to the places
which have long distance (Taalbi and Nielsen, 2021). The people might face difficulty in
finding the power station, if the battery goes down as these types of vehicle fully
dependent upon the electricity. Due to the deficiency of a power station, it is not the
correct option. Also, electric cars are not as productive as a conventional vehicle. With
the full charge battery electric vehicle travels less in relation to one tank fill of
4

conventional vehicles. Due to this reason, it is not appropriate for intercity travelling
purposes.
 Long changing times: Electric car requires long charging time which is also one of the
disadvantages of using such type of vehicle. With the purpose to charge a fuel-based
vehicle,an individual don't need to wait for the long time period as it can be filled rapidly
but to charge an electric vehicle, an individual needs to hold for a long period of time
(Rohini and Asha, 2022). Electric car takes more time for purpose of charging a battery
or cell. This will waste the period of time of individuals and due to these intention, people
avoid purchasing an electric vehicle.
Future of the electric cars in the UK
The UK have well establishes economy and the people living there are also well
educated. So , they give more focus on protecting the environment. Thats why demand of electric
vehicle in UK are increasing day by day. Due to this the people can spread awareness related to
environmental awareness. The people have started buying electric vehicle in realtion to the
previous year which reflect future of electic vehicle (Musonera and Cagle, 2019). The increase
of electric vehicle will capture the market place in future as there is shortage in natural resources.
An electric vehicle also assists in controlling the pollution due to which government authorities
is also providing a push to these types electric vehicles. With the purpose to increase it,
government bodies is also dealing to decrease its disadvantage and moreover, there is also a gain
in the number of charging stations in the UK. Till 2030, sales of petrol as well as diesel will be
stopped by the government as these leading towards more and more pollution within the UK.
Along with this, electric vehicle are also considered as cost-friendly for people and maintaining
an electric vehicle is cheaper for the individual with comparison to a conventional vehicle.
CONCLUSION
From above report, it can be concluded that electric vehicle is acquiring high need in the
market. It has various advantages for a individual as it saves money and needs less maintenance.
It is crucial for an individual because it assists them towards reducing the level of pollution. It is
more favourable for travelling to short distance in relation with vehicle which needs fuel. There
are various types of disadvantages of using electric vehicles as it takes a lengthy time for
charging. Here it also a lack in availability of charging station. As it have different
disadvantages, there is an accelerative demand of these electric vehicles.
5

SELF EVALUATION
With the purpose to learn new things academic skills can help the individual to develop
different plan of action, behaviour and quality. This can lead the individual to gain success and
growth in their life. Through this individual will be able to attend different types of module,
participate in different types of activities in learning area, completing the assignment on given
time period and many more things (Wheeler and et. al., 2021). This report involve a reflection of
the learning of the module and an explanation of things learned from the completion of the
investigation.
With the help of academic skills module as well as assignment task I am able to learn
different kinds of things which were very helpful for me. I was able to gain different new
knowledge which will be very effective for me in future time period. This will help in solving
different types of problem which I face while making my career.
To make any project report all of us need to develop various plan and strategies in order
to carry out the task of the project in an appropriate manner. While making this I had to face lot
of difficulties. One of the difficult was to collect the data of the people who are using electric
vehicle in their daily life. As this is one of the emerging concept in the market as very few
number of people believe in using the electric vehicle. So to get the proper data and information
was quite difficult (Chu and et. al., 2019). So I did research with the help of internet, magazine
and various internet site. Along with the collection of data and information, I faced problem in
managing the time. As it was very difficult for me to carry out the project along with the
education. As I had my exams very near and this making report was also very important. So
managing the time for both research and study was quite difficult for me. As my most of the time
was consumed while gathering the data. So I was unable to cope with the other parts of the
project. This lead me to miss the important deadlines of the project. The project was also very
lengthy for me so I felt difficulty in meeting the deadlines of the project and this was very
disappointing to me. Along with this, due to the COVID 19 pandemic I was not able to interact
with the people face to face to know about their experience while driving the electric vehicle.
Due this I had to make all the research and survey through online platform only. While making
6

this project I had to face lot of budget issue as well. While making this project my monthly
budget got dis-balanced as lot of money was spent on buying books, journals, magazines and
many other stationery items. So to make this project, I had to spent lot of money which was very
expensive for me.
Everything we do has certain reason so for me do this project was my own experience
while riding the electric car. When I ride the electric vehicle for the first time I felt so
comfortable while rising and the best part was it didn't produced any noise (Eccarius and Lu,
2020). It was very smooth to ride. Another thing I enjoyed was while gathering the data I came
to know many new things which will be beneficial for me in the future time period. And to know
to view of point of different people regarding the electric vehicle was very interesting to me as I
like to interact with other people. Along this adding my own experience in this project was best
thing. By this project my writing and presentation skills got improved which was very
interesting.
Area for potential improvement
While making this project I realised that I improved lots of areas which I lacked before.
Some of the major skills which I developed while making this project are as follow:
 Research skills: While making this report, I did lot of research and survey from various
internet platform and through various books, journal and magazines. I improved my data
collecting skills, content writing skills, presentation skills and many more. But I faced
lots of issues also but I wanted to be a good researcher and wanted to be a good content
writer also.
 Critical thinking: It is a form of skill which is crucial in examining and evaluating any
specific topic deeply. It is a ability which permit an individual in knowing themselves
better and it prompt them to do more productively and are important in making various
kind of task and project (Priessner, Sposato and Hampl, 2018). I wanted to create skills
because I faced several problems while thinking effectively at different topics. This are
very crucial skills for a student as there are regular work of making various projects and
research while academics and also in corporate life.
7

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Love, P.E. and Matthews, J., 2019. The ‘how’of benefits management for digital technology:
From engineering to asset management. Automation in Construction, 107, p.102930.
Jung, F., 2022. Developing Quiet Hybrid and Electric Cars. ATZ worldwide, 124(7), pp.14-15.
Proff, H., Szybisty, G. and Fojcik, T.M., 2019. From electric cars to energy-efficient houses-the
automotive retail sector at the crossroads. International Journal of Automotive
Technology and Management, 19(1-2), pp.55-73.
Meinrenken, C.J., Shou, Z. and Di, X., 2020. Using GPS-data to determine optimum electric
vehicle ranges: A Michigan case study. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and
Environment, 78, p.102203.
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.
Marmiroli, B., and et. al., 2020. The transport of goods in the urban environment: A comparative
life cycle assessment of electric, compressed natural gas and diesel light-duty
vehicles. Applied energy, 260, p.114236.
Thakre, M., Mane, J. and Hadke, V., 2020, December. Performance analysis of SRM based on
asymmetrical bridge converter for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. In 2020 International
Conference on Power, Energy, Control and Transmission Systems (ICPECTS) (pp. 1-6).
IEEE.
Stieneker, M.,and et. al., 2018, May. MVDC distribution grids for electric vehicle fast-charging
infrastructure. In 2018 International Power Electronics Conference (IPEC-Niigata
2018-ECCE Asia) (pp. 598-606). IEEE.
Taalbi, J. and Nielsen, H., 2021. The role of energy infrastructure in shaping early adoption of
electric and gasoline cars. Nature Energy, 6(10), pp.970-976.
Rohini, M. and Asha, S., 2022. A Review of Electric Vehicle Components. Smart Technologies
for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, Vol 1, pp.531-558.
Musonera, E. and Cagle, C., 2019. Electric Car Brand Positioning in the Automotive Industry:
Recommendations for Sustainable and Innovative Marketing Strategies. Journal of
Strategic Innovation & Sustainability, 14(1).
Wheeler, P., and et. al., 2021. Electric/hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion systems. Proceedings of
the IEEE, 109(6), pp.1115-1127.
Chu, W.,and et. al., 2019. Psychological and behavioral factors affecting electric vehicle
adoption and satisfaction: A comparative study of early adopters in China and
Korea. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 76, pp.1-18.
Eccarius, T. and Lu, C.C., 2020. Powered two-wheelers for sustainable mobility: A review of
consumer adoption of electric motorcycles. International journal of sustainable
transportation, 14(3), pp.215-231.
Priessner, A., Sposato, R. and Hampl, N., 2018. Predictors of electric vehicle adoption: An
analysis of potential electric vehicle drivers in Austria. Energy policy, 122, pp.701-714.
8