Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars

This report discusses the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars, including their energy efficiency, low maintenance cost, and eco-friendliness. It also covers the challenges faced in manufacturing batteries, the impact on the environment, and the need for more charging stations. The report also includes insights into the history of electric cars and their unique features.

Skills Topic 2: Electric
Cars

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK...............................................................................................................................................3
Advantages of electric cars..........................................................................................................5
Disadvantages of EV...................................................................................................................5
TASK 2........................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Technology can be referred as the application of several scientific knowledge in different
practical aims of human aspects (Targonya, Khmeluk and Bankovskaya, 2019). In almost every
business industry, technology is rapidly increasing and there are numerous advantages such as it
reduces human effort, makes work easier and faster along with low cost. In relation to
automobile industry, various advancements are recorded and makes overall cost easier. As
petroleum resources are diminishing and this creates threat for many automobile companies. In
order to solve this issue, companies are coming with electric cars technology. There are various
advantages of electric cars and founds cheaper as compared to conventional cars. The running
and maintenance cost of electric cars is lower than petroleum based cars. This project report is
based on electric cars along with advantages and disadvantages. Further, it will cover Task 2
which covers research and learning process.
TASK
The era of electric cars was introduced 90 years ago and it becomes popular in great trend as they
are convenient for users. Electric cars play crucial role in providing convenient and hassle free
driving experience to its customers. Due to scarcity of natural resources, many people are
switching form conventional vehicle to electric vehicles as it is cost affordable compared to
conventional vehicle (Rabeeakh and Chaplyaeva, 2021). The another reason for emergence of
electric cars is rising pollution. The air quality is very poor in various counties and it becomes a
threat for humans. The demand of electric vehicles is great and it is advanced form of technology
which provides convenience to its customers. Various innovators in USA, Hungary and
Netherlands started toying concept of battery operated vehicle and they have created small scale
of electric cars. In order to better understand popularity of electric cars, it is also crucial to
understand development of other options and of personal vehicles. At turn of 20th century, still
horses are considered as primary mode of transportation but Americans are more prosperous and
they invented motor vehicle which are available in gasoline, electric and steam versions (Altun
and et al.,2019). Electric cars do not have any issue related to gasoline and steam version and
they were quiet and easy to drive as well as do not emit smelly pollutant and harmful gases.
Electric cars become quickly popular within urban residents and are perfect for short trips. Many

innovators took note that demand of electric cars were high and in 1898, Porsche introduced its
first hybrid car called P1.
The other event which helps in reshaping of electric vehicles was announcement in 2006
that Tesla motors would start producing luxury electric cars and can go for about 200 miles in a
single charge. In addition to that, Tesla received $465 million loan from Department of Energy
Loan Program Office and that loan Tesla paid nine years early. Its announcement and rapid
success spurred various big automakers in order to accelerate work on their EV. In 2010, Nissan
introduced its first hybrid car which runs on electricity and gasoline. Gasoline engine will
supplement once the battery is depleted. Many companies like Kia, Hyundai and Honda
emphasise on making high end electric cars along with unique features so that it can attract large
number of customers. There can be seen cut-throat competition in automobile industry and
makes it complex for companies to survive (Bozhuk and Pletneva, 2017). Consumers have
hundreds of choices than ever when it comes to buy an electric vehicle. Presently, there are
around 23 plug in electric as well as 36 hybrid models available in varied sizes. The price of
gasoline is increasing continuously and rise in price of electric vehicles continue to drop. In UK,
more than 234000 plug in electric vehicle and 3.3 million hybrids on roads. In last four years
with the help of battery research and development helped in lowering down of battery cost and
makes them more affordable to consumers. In the initial stage of production of electric cars, the
battery cost is high and has short durability which draw backs interest of customers but due to
technology advancement, the battery prices were lower and makes it easier for customer to
afford. Followings are some special features of electric cars which captivates customers.
 It covers a large segment of marketing which includes cars, bikes, scooters and busses
which are cheaper than gasoline vehicles.
 Electric cars emit no or very less carbon emission as compared to gasoline engines. It
keeps climate clean and does not produce toxic gases.
 Electric cars cover unique features such as voice enabled system and automatic climate
and cruise control which makes it more convenient for driver. Tesla cars has a unique
feature of auto-pilot mode in which car would automatic drive and reach to destination
without human interference.

Advantages of electric cars
 Energy efficient – Electric cars are energy efficient and requires less energy to perform
its function. In addition to that, the charging cost of electric cars in lower than gasoline
engines and preserves natural petroleum resources (Sorokoletov, Kovshechenko and
Tikhomirova, 2019). In a single charge, some cars can run more than 150 miles in a low
charging cost. This makes it easier for customer to opt electric car over conventional car. Reduces emission- Electric cars emits less pollution than conventional cars which leads
to environmental pollution. EV are eco-friendly and does not emit toxic gases such as
carbon di oxide and nitrogen di oxide. As these cars runs on electricity and does not
produce pollutants into air. Low maintenance- Electric cars requires low maintenance than gasoline cars as the
mechanism is easier and this makes it more affordable for people. In addition to that, the
service interval of EV are larger than conventional cars. These cars only requires high
capacity batteries which can operate its engine and give extra distance coverage in single
charge. The maintenance cost of gasoline cars is higher and it requires regular service at
short interval of time. High performing cars- Electric cars are high performing cars and have unique features
than manual cars and also rely on low maintenance cost. All the functions are fully
digitalised and can perform in every road condition. They can easily climb on steep roads
and best for off-roading too. The charging time of EV are lower which saves time of
customer. Facilitates better driving experience- Electric cars are more responsive in terms of
acceleration than manual cars and also have regenerating braking at time of emergency.
Due to low centre of gravity, it improves handling and provides easy handling to driver.
Better handling and comfortable driving makes EV unique than manual cars.
Along with various benefits, there are several drawbacks of electric cars which draws
back customer interest while making buying decision. Some disadvantages of electric
cars are discussed below
Disadvantages of EV
 Battery needs rare material- Batteries used in electric cars use a lot of lithium along with
other metals such as cobalt, aluminium, manganese and copper (Kampker and et al.,

2016). In some batteries graphite is also used which is a rare metal. There are various
countries which have rich cobalt deposit like Democratic Republic of Congo in which it
is lies on the surface of and picked up by miners. Cobalt is toxic and harmful to humans
and most miners do not use protective equipment. The cost of rare metals is higher and
this makes cost of battery high. Due to insufficient source of lithium, it becomes difficult
for companies to make batteries.
 Making EV creates more emissions- In order to get the idea of how much greenhouse
gas is emitted in manufacturing electric car, it is needed to look into how components are
made and sourced. It is important that raw material to make car is to be mined and
process of mining creates lot of greenhouse gases. The raw material is to be refined
before they can be used which again creates so much of carbon and toxic gases. It has
been observed that making a diesel or petrol car releases 7 to 10 tons of carbon di oxide.
Whereas making of an electric car releases same amount of carbon gases but production
of batteries suggests that 150 kg of CO2 release 1kWh of battery capacity (Du and et al.,
2018). This means that additional 9 tonnes of CO2 is emitted in making electric car. So
this seems that electric cars are worse for environment than a gasoline one.
 Electric cars can be expensive- As electric cars uses rare material in making of batteries
which elevates overall cost of car. This makes it complex for customer to opt this
alternative. Along with buying cost a 30 minutes’ fast charge from authorised charging
point at service station cost around £6. At the same time an overnight charging from a
dedicated charging point installed at home can provide range of 100 miles if driving in
just £2. Servicing of electric cars tends to be cheaper as there are only few moving parts
and no oil and oil filter to change at regular interval of time. The most expensive part of
electric cars is its battery. Looking at long term ownership of EV can be cheaper but the
initial purchase price is higher (Televan, 2020).
 Not suitable for longer drive- As the battery technology is improving all the time and
many batteries can cover a range of 300 miles between charges. But many cars have less
than 150 miles between charges which means they are suitable for cities and for local
journeys. It needs them about half an hour to charge at high voltage authorised charging
station. Using air conditioner or heater on can impact on car’s range and on battery
performance and batteries less charge in cold weather.

 Not enough charging points- Within UK, there are not much charging stations and this
makes it difficult for people to charge their vehicle. In addition to that, filling a car takes
up only couple of minutes but charging an EV takes up to 40 minutes. Many people have
dedicated charging point installed at their home but during long journey, not having
charging station can create problem for many people. The need of charge can cause
problem.
From the above presented information, it was observed that electric cars are easy and
faster to use. There are various pros of car which captures attention of many people to
choose this alternative such as low maintenance cost, eco-friendly and facilitates better
driving experience. This influences people and people are switching their gasoline cars
into electric cars. One of the global automobile manufacturer Tesla, a well-known electric
car manufacture. The cars of Tesla have excellent functioning and have long battery
range which provides 400 miles in a single charge.
TASK 2
This task is based on various learning as well as research process which is undertaken by me. At
the initial stage, I was little bit nervous as this topic was completely new for me and before
conducting research it is important to have knowledge and detailed point on the topic. Without
having knowledge, it becomes to collect and interpret data. As this topic is new for me but I am
inquisitive and curious about learning new things and to gain valuable knowledge about different
topic. This essay gives me a detailed overview of technological advancement and how it can
contribute in making prices and product more effective and efficient. In addition to this, I come
to know that there are various organisations which emphasise on bringing new technology so that
they can reduce human efforts and makes work more effective and cheaper. I was nervous
regarding how will I conduct research but my peers helped me in various aspects. We all had
conducted group sessions in which we discussed about collection of data and research
methodology. This approach helped me very much and they filled me with motivation and
nervousness fade away. Along with group discussion, I have taken help of various articles and
journal by which I come to know about different research methodologies and how to make
research effective. In automobile sector, various articles helped me in gaining knowledge about
technology and how it can help in providing better customer satisfaction. There are various

companies who majorly focus on making electric cars than gasoline in order to diminish carbon
pollution and to make affordable automobile segment to middle class families. Electric cars have
various advantages such as it is easier to drive in local journeys and cheaper than gasoline cars.
In addition to that, electric cars are more energy efficient as it uses electricity to run and gives
hassle free experience to customers. It also reduces emission and does not harm the environment
just like gasoline engines. They emit carbon di oxide and nitrogen oxide which raise pollution
level. EV does not release carbon emission which makes environment clean. While doing
research, I have also come to know that the maintenance cost of electric cars are low as
compared to conventional cars. It does not require any high cost maintenance and removal of
spare parts related to gear work. As these cars runs on batteries which are main source of energy.
Many high ned batteries have capacity to drive cars for more than 200 miles in a single charge.
This will help people who travels intercity and this alternative is better than gasoline cars. Along
with some advantages, there are some disadvantages too as these are quite expensive than
gasoline cars. The most expensive component of EV are their batteries and they use rare material
which elevates cost of batteries. The manufacturing process of electric cars involves mining of
materials and this negatively impacts on environment. Electric cars have various unique features
which makes it unique than other cars. Along with this, I have also researched that production of
battery is a time consuming process and requires rare material name Cobalt. Along with cobalt,
batteries of electric car requires lithium, one of most rare material used heavily in batteries. It
becomes complex to find lithium as various countries do not have adequate amount of lithium. I
become curious about lithium process and searched for obtaining process of lithium. In addition
to that, I get valuable information form internet regarding how to obtain lithium form mining and
what are the challenges faced by miners in getting lithium and cobalt. At some instance, I got
struck in pros and cons of electric cars and I have taken help of my teachers and they guided me
in a polite manner. They suggested me some articles regarding advancements of technology in
automobile sector. Their suggestion found valuable for me and my all doubts get cleared.
Further, I have come to know about how technology is rapidly increasing and how new projects
are proposed and waiting to be converted into products. There can be seen a wider scope of
electric cars as they are eco-friendly and does not release harmful gases.
In order to properly conduct research, it is needed to have relevant skills which can improve
capability to complete project on time and makes it more effective. Whole conducting research, I

have acquired various skills such as time management skill, evaluation and interpretation and
reasoning skill. All these skill plays an important role in making in my professional career. At
some instances, when I struck in any topic, critical thinking helped me to solve by analysing root
cause and finding best alternative to solve problem. I have also enhanced my time management
skill which makes me punctual and completes task on time. I have made a schedule and
regarding very topic and completed within time. The time given for this project is not much and
this makes me anxious but with time management skill, I am able to complete task on time. I am
confident enough that I can handle critical project and complete within given time. In addition to
that, evaluation and interpretation skills helps me in evaluation of data in order to create insight
which makes research effective. I have collected data from reliable sources and from authorised
articles which provides correct data. While doing research, I have seen things from customer’s
and from company’s point of view. It makes me more productive towards work and enhance
existing skills. I have analysed my strengths and weaknesses and tries my best to overcome
weakness. This research helped me in gaining valuable information about technological
advancement in automobile sector and era of electric cars. Along with this, I have acquired
various skills such as data analytics, reasoning and problem solving skills which can be used in
my professional career.

CONCLUSION
From the above project report, it was concluded that electric vehicles use electricity to charge
their batteries instead of fossil fuels like diesel or petrol. Electric cars are more efficient and
combined with electricity cost means charging an EV costs cheaper than gasoline for travel
requirements. Various pros and cons have been discussed in this report regarding electric cars.
They do not emit carbon and toxic gases into environment which pollutes planet. The cost of
electric cars is higher due to high battery cost which consist of rare metal like cobalt. In task 2, I
have gained valuable information while conducting research and how it can help me in
enhancing competencies and skills. Adding to this, I have come to know about research
methodologies and how it can be used in my professional career

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Altun and et al.,2019, November. Design and optimization of electric cars. a review of
technological advances. In 2019 8th International Conference on Renewable Energy Research
and Applications (ICRERA) (pp. 645-650). IEEE.
Bozhuk, S. and Pletneva, N.Y., 2017, April. The problems of market orientation of Russian
innovative products (electric cars as a case study). In Energy Management of Municipal
Transportation Facilities and Transport (pp. 1234-1242). Springer, Cham.
Du and et al., 2018. Insights into the characteristics of technologies and industrialization for
plug-in electric cars in China. Energy, 164, pp.910-924.
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.
Kampker and et al., 2016. Evaluation of a remanufacturing for lithium ion batteries from electric
cars. International Journal of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, 10(12), pp.1929-1935.
Rabeeakh, S.K.B. and Chaplyaeva, L.A., 2021. ELECTRIC CARS. In SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH (pp. 27-30).
Sorokoletov, I.K., Kovshechenko, V.M. and Tikhomirova, T.I., 2019. ELECTRIC CARS-THE
ROAD TO THE FUTURE. In Инновационные подходы в решении современных проблем
рационального использования природных ресурсов и охраны окружающей среды (pp. 154-
157).
Targonya, A., Khmeluk, A. and Bankovskaya, I., 2019. Electric cars: advantages and
disadvantages.
Televan, A., 2020. Pros and cons of electric cars.