Are Electric Vehicles the Answer to High Gas Prices – No

From 3arf

Electric vehicles are not the answer to high gas prices, because their development has run into many obstacles. Electric vehicles have been in use for well over one hundred years, and have been sold to the public since the 1890's. Thomas Edison invented an electric-powered boat to cruise around his Florida estate during the early 1900's. Edison also developed batteries to make electrically powered vehicles more practical. In all of the years following these early technological developments, vehicles that are solely powered by electricity are still not available in large numbers. A few, small manufacturers as Tesla offer electric cars, but only in small numbers, and with a price tag of over $100,000. None of the major automobile manufacturers have a plug-in electric car available.

The main problem with electric cars is their range, which needs to be at least 100 miles in between battery charges in order for them to be practical for most drivers. Automobile manufacturers have developed hybrid-powered vehicles, which have electric motors that work in conjunction with internal combustion engines that are designed to keep the internal batteries charged. Vehicles as the Toyota Prius, the Ford Escape, and the Saturn Vue are among those that offer this technology. They do provide improved fuel economy, but at an additional cost of approximately $5,000 to their purchase prices.

At the present time, there is little financial incentive for car makers to invest billions of dollars in research and development to engineer a practical and affordable electric car. Two of America's major automakers, General Motors and Chrysler, are undergoing restructuring after filing for bankruptcy, and the other major companies are all dealing with declining revenues. In addition, the oil corporations spend millions to convince Congress not to support measures that could endanger their industry.

The other problem lies with the power plants that will supply the electricity for these cars. The majority of them still run on fossil fuels, and supply electricity on on outdated and inefficient power grid. Greater use of wind and solar power needs to be incorporated to meet out nation's electricity needs. These changes in infrastructure must accompany the development of practical, affordable electric cars.

Further research needs to continue to develop lighter batteries that can hold a longer charge, and be recharged quickly. Plug-in electric cars could be the answer to rising oil prices, and reduce our nation dependency on foreign oil, but consumers and the federal government need to apply pressure on automakers to manufacture these vehicles at an affordable price.

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