Advantages and disadvantages of electric cars
An electrifying look at the future of auto racing and the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC Electric Race Car. Shot in Silverstone England and Le Mans France, this film takes an in-depth look at the 100% electric race car as it takes its first laps at the legendary 24-Hours of Le Mans.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Advantages and disadvantages of electric cars
Advantages of the electric car
Electric engines (and so electric cars) have some important advantages over traditional combustion engines. We’ll put them on a row.
Low maintenance and fuel costs
An electric engine has only one moving part, the rotor. Therefore it is only little subject to wear. Little to no maintenance is required, and you’ll never again have to change engine oil, because there is none.
Charging your batteries is also much cheaper then refueling at a service station. If we assume an electricity price of .12/kWh with the knowledge that you can drive as far with 3kWh as with 0.26 gallons of fuel (at .245 a gallon), you can save up to dollars by recharging instead of refueling!
Silence
Because no explosions take place in the electric engine, it is also much quieter. Some electric cars are even equipped with a special horn for pedestrians (such as a bicycle bell, but for cars) because they would not hear you coming. At low speeds you hear nothing, at higher speeds only the rolling noise of your tires on the road and the wind blowing past your car.
Efficient
The combustion engine achieves an efficiency of around 30%. This means that 70% of the available energy in the fuel is lost trough heat. An electric motor can yield up to 90%. Even engine braking is a big difference. As the combustion engine consumes nothing while braking, the electric motor works as a generator and recharges his battery.
Environmental friendly
An electric car emits no polluting emissions. No CO ², no soot, nothing. In large cities, this could mean the end of the suffocating smog. Of course you can say there is some pollution when electricity is produced, but even the dirtiest power plants (coal, natural gas) have a much higher efficiency than a normal combustion engine. These plants are also equipped with exhaust purification systems. Combine this with the 90% efficiency of the electric engine, and the electric car is sitting clearly in the winning team.
Torque, driving comfort
An electric motor can generate its maximum torque from standstill. Acceleration will be much better and smoother because an electric car has no gearbox, resulting in a very high driving comfort.
Disadvantages of the electric car
Yes, electric cars also have some drawbacks, but most of them can be easily solved by adapting your lifestyle
A short range and long charging times
The actual generation of electric cars has a range of approximately 100 miles, far below the range of a car with combustion engine. Research has show that 95% of the trips we make are less than 60 miles, perfectly feasible for an electric car. In addition, our car is standing still long enough at home and on parking areas to recharge its batteries, which is typically a few hours at home and 30min for a fast charge. However, engineers are developing a quick-drop system to replace a car battery in the time span of refueling your car.
Range Aniexty
While most people refuel now with a range of 100 miles left, this is now the entire range you have available. You’ll have to overcome your fear getting stuck with a dead battery. Remember also that your car can be recharged at home or at work. No need for gas stations anymore.
Expensive
The electric car is still more expensive than a normal car. The small Nissan Leaf costs approximately $ 32.000, but remember that you can save seriously on maintenance and fuel costs. As technology develops and sales volumes increase, prices will drop also.
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