Gas vs Electric – Yes
In the past electric cars were seen as stupid and were the punchline for many automotive jokes. They could not handle steady speed and the battery would run out before the driver could cover more than sixty miles.
However in recent times electric power has evolved dramatically. The Tesla roadster is an all electric car, not a hybrid, and it can go from 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds. That is faster than most other road cars. It reaches a speed of 135 miles per hour and at that speed it could cover 245 miles before it needs to be recharged.
It is impossible for anything to be 100% efficient but gasoline cars have a low efficiency rating, hovering at around 70%. Compared to electric cars which are usually 82%, it is easier to see which does its job the best.
When an electric car needs to be recharged, you simply plug it into the wall at your house. You don't have to find a gas station or wait in line. Currently, the Tesla Roadster can fully recharge in as little as three hours. With Toshiba’s new SCiB SuperCharge battery, this could be reduced to a matter of minutes; a comparable amount of time we spend at the gas pump. Chances are your commute is around 50 miles a day which means you would need to recharge about once a week.
The other advantage of the electric car is that it's very quiet. Most people who have never driven an electric car are startled when they come to a stop. The first reaction is restart the engine because when the car isn't moving, the engine is literally off. It doesn't idle like a gasoline engine. Quiet is nice, but perhaps more so for those who live near busy streets or freeways as the sounds of passing cars will be greatly reduced.
Electric cars are simple to manage and maintain, even for those with little knowledge of mechanics. When a problem arises it can easily be fixed without visiting your local garage. The combustion engine, in comparison, is a complex piece of engineering and you need a deep understanding of how it works before you even attempt to fix it. This results in many trips to mechanics which will also lead to many bills to be paid.
So which is better? For me, the answer is obvious. Electric cars are mechanically simple compared to the internal combustion engine.
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