Reducing Pollution Using Electric Cars

One of the biggest causes of air pollution in cities is motor vehicles. Traditional vehicles run on diesel and petrol, which emit hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. These substances contribute primarily to global warming, an effect whose impact is being felt increasingly in the world today. Inhaling these gases also causes health problems such as lung cancer, brain diseases, and heart attack. A first step to reversing pollution would be to stop the primary cause, which is the emission of toxic gases by motor vehicles. Electric vehicles are the world’s safest alternative to conventional cars, as they are one of the most eco-friendly solutions to pollution.

Electric vehicles (EV’s) are vehicles that use an electric motor to run instead of an internal combustion engine. The vehicle uses a large traction battery pack to power the electric motor and must be plugged into a charging station or wall outlet to charge. Because it runs on electricity, the vehicle emits no exhaust from a tailpipe and does not contain the typical liquid fuel components, such as a fuel pump, fuel line, or fuel tank. [Afdc, 2019]. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) combine an electric motor with an efficient petrol or diesel engine, and so usually produce some tailpipe emissions throughout a journey; although on average at a far lower level than conventional petrol or diesel cars.

There are many benefits that come from switching to electric cars. The main one is reducing air pollution. Clean air is one of the most crucial requirements of a clean and healthy environment. Pure electric vehicles do not emit hydrocarbons and other harmful chemicals, which are harmful when inhaled and can cause diseases such as lung cancer. Electric cars are also much quieter than traditional ones, which means they produce less sound, hence lesser noise pollution.

Moreover, electric cars use renewable energy. The car is powered by an array of rechargeable batteries which use solar energy and green power, hence do not have greenhouse gas emissions. This reduces reliance on fossil fuels, which are likely to become exhausted shortly. Also, carbon emissions produced these fossil fuels lead to climate change and global warming. By switching to an electric car, a person would be contributing significantly to taking care of our home planet.

Recently, eco-friendly materials have been adopted for the production of EV’s. For instance, the Ford Focus Electric is made up of recycled materials and the padding is made out of bio-based materials. The Nissan Leaf’s interior and bodywork are partly made out of green materials such as recycled water bottles, plastic bags, old car parts, and even second-hand home appliances. [Ergon.com, 2019]

It must be noted. However, electric cars are not a perfect solution to pollution. They run on electricity, which is still produced by burning fossil fuels. Batteries used are sophisticated and therefore require a lot of energy to produce. While the car itself will not emit carbon gases, the power plants that charge the batteries produce a substantial amount of it. This has led many critics to argue that the carbon footprint of an electric car is similar to that of a traditional vehicle. Batteries are also made from metals which must be mined. The mining process poses a whole new set of ecological problems such as deforestation, water, and noise pollution and contamination of soil. A solution would be to produce cars that run on renewable resources instead of batteries produced using fossil fuels.

While electric cars may not be entirely eco-friendly, they are the best alternative to conventional cars as a solution to environmental pollution. They do not pollute the environment, can run on with renewable materials and can be produced using eco-friendly materials. The switch to electric cars is inevitable if the world is to make any significant difference in protecting the environment.

References

• BIBLIOGRAPHY Afdc. (2019). Alternative Fuels Data Center: How Do All-Electric Cars Work? Retrieved April 29, 2019, from U.S. Department of Energy: https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/how-do-all-electric-cars-work
• Ergon.com. (2019). Benefits of electric vehicles. Retrieved April 29, 2019, from Ergon Energy: https://www.ergon.com.au/network/smarter-energy/electric-vehicles/benefits-of-electric-vehicles