As stated in his article “Why the Gasoline Engine Isn’t Going Away Any Time Soon,” Joseph B. White believes that “an automotive revolution is coming -- but it’s traveling in the slow lane” (White 260). He goes on to state throughout his article that today’s reality is one that prevents this “revolution” from taking place in the way that Americans all hope for. He sites the current inability to design an engine that would run on an energy source other than gasoline or diesel but still have the same power that traditional engines have, as well as the cost of gasoline versus the cost of electricity, as some of the sources of our woes. Some companies do not want to move away from their old factories and workers whose union agreements make dismissing
We have the desire to create a new form of technology and get away from gasoline cars. Electric cars are the future in transportation and will pave the way for the auto industry in years to come. Even though we have not seen the results we need in production, costs, and technology, people are positive they will soon catch on. In this paper I will discuss the cultural considerations of the electric car. I will compare the United States use of technology with other nations around the world such as China. When comparing them, I will cover the main sources of the technology for present electric cars and also the production. I will review America’s innovation and motivation in pursuing the electric car. Based on that I will name some leading car brands
The world produces around 85 million barrels of oil each day. About a quarter of that percentage goes to the United States of America, which is used up mostly by means of transportations. Most people get around from place to place using a car, a car that is powered by fuel. Everywhere one goes driving, they will eventually run into a gas station but not a charging station for electric cars. Regular cars, burn off fuel that produce emissions (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur) that pollute and harm the environment. Although, there are some positives about switching there are also some problems that could appear but could be fixed. Electric cars have the potential to reduce the amount of pollution in the environment, boost the national economy and help
“We can break our dependence on oil…and become the first country to have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015,” President Obama said in his January 2011 State of the Union address (Institute for Energy Research 1). While this may sound promising, the practicality and merit in achieving this goal remains unclear. Auto manufacturers have been working on plans for electric cars for years, especially the three largest companies in the US: Chevrolet, Chrysler, and Ford. These companies have been hoping that the development of electric cars would create a sort of lifestyle change for consumers, both weaning the U.S. off of its dependence on foreign oil and breathing life into the market for auto sales at the same time. Electric cars are often sold as zero emissions, but technically that is only true once they are charged and in terms of their tailpipe emissions. After all, they have to get their energy from somewhere and, more often than not, the electricity used for charging is supplied by traditional coal fired power plants. The real question then is whether the source and amount of energy required to build and supply an electric car with power is actually cleaner and more economical than a traditional combustion automobile. As it turns out, the answer is both unexpected and fairly complicated. In order to assess whether the use of
At a first glance, electric vehicles create a facade showing off the newest innovation in efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles. Yet, behind the masks that these manufacturers hide behind, there is a vault that holds all the funds they have essentially scammed the smartest consumers out of. Have you ever questioned the production procedure involved in the creation of these glorified pieces of sheet metal? Never! Who cares, right? A simple Wikipedia search exposes the fraud used by manufacturers. Most electric vehicles share the same facility as their gas counterparts. Prioritizing the safety of our planet, alternative energy sources have been identified and have been put into effect. It’s name? Oil.
Electric cars impose a serious risk on the oil and gas industry. The extent by which this market succeeds reciprocally defines the extent by which the oil and gas industry deteriorates. As with all forms of technology, there comes a point in time where one form of technology no longer appears to be useful in comparison with an applicable alternative. The current inhibitors of electric car adoption are the price of batteries and vehicle performance. With that being said, battery prices dropped over 30% just last year and are expected to continue dropping. Projections estimate that 35% of cars will have a plug by 20401. However, even in the next few years, companies such as Tesla, Chevrolet, and Nissan plan to offer electric cars on the market at an affordable price. The question then becomes: when the oil and gas market will be displaced by the electric market? If both markets produce a vehicle of similar price and quality, then it is reasonable to assume that a customer will choose the option that is more eco-friendly. The moral issue still remains: should the vehicles of tomorrow be fueled by gasoline or are viable options readily available and acceptable?
In this article “Why the Gasoline Engine Isn’t Going Away Any Time Soon,” Joseph B. White states that alternative energy cars could be the start of a revolution in the automaker world, however, complications interfere with the outcome. Although the author suggests different ideas on alternative vehicles, he contradicts himself numerous times while also lacking credibility of any sources.
Total destruction of the United States’ economy, this statement may sound outright ridiculous, but could be the outcome of the future. Oil has become the main resource consumed by the world, primarily used for generating electricity, household use and transportation. Due to oil being a non-renewable resource, inefficiency and over dependency will eventually drain the world of the fuel. Electric motors may lead the way in developing alternate energy for transportation combined with newer developments. With today’s fluctuating oil prices America’s current mode of transportation will meet its end; clean electric power would serve as a way to preserve America’s future.
Cars, just about every household in America has probably at least two parked in their driveway at any given time. The dependency on the gas powered car has substantially increased since it’s invention and production back in 1908 by the Ford Motor Company. As of 2014, it was estimated that there were over 88 million cars produced world-wide and growing every day. (Fig. 1) Even though a lot of these vehicles might be the new Hybrid edition, the majority of them have a dependency on oil and gasoline products for their survival and existence. Petroleum products, such as oil and gasoline do not come cheap or even free to the consumer, even the
Joseph B. White, in his article “Why the Gasoline Engine Isn’t Going Anywhere,” begins with a short description of the modern electric car. He then proceeds to explain why that description is not accurate (White 260). This explanation continues through the rest of the article. For example, on page 261 the author explains how modern automakers have looked at alternatives for decades and still have not found an alternative as efficient as the gasoline engine. White proceeds to outline the costs involved with an electric car transition in America. On page 262, he narrates three examples of costs associated with this transition while including studies and statistics. One such study found that the United States could accommodate 10,000
Similarly government regulations in the United States and Europe are tightening up, consequently requiring cars to be cleaner and more fuel efficient. As a result, the collaboration with BMW is paramount to getting the most fuel efficient vehicles to the market in a timely manner so that GM can harvest a substantial profit. (3) In addition General Motors is working on the next generation of fuel efficient and gasoline free vehicles to help reduce the impact of the vehicle on the environment, while preserving personal mobility, which further indicates its commitment to innovation. (6)
Environmental concerns have been raised from time to time because of the dependency on the gasoline-fueled engine as the chief auto powertrain technology. This has resulted in exposing many automobile users to unpredictable prices of fuel. These issues were, however, the reason for
One driving force of change is technology. The automobile industry is constantly focusing on technology in order to make themselves and their cars better. They constantly compete to be the “first” one to have the newest and best idea. One of these ideas is an electric vehicle. GM, Ford, and Toyota all have electric automobiles. GM has the Chevy Volt. Volt One of Ford’s electric cars is the Electric Ranger. Ranger Toyota had the Rav4 EV, but due to discouraging sales it stopped production. “Toyota remains committed to developing an "Eco Vehicle," one that will have a minimal impact on the environment.” Rav4 One purpose of the electric automobiles is to have the ability to drive to work using only electricity. Currently during longer trips you would have to use a combination of electric and gasoline power. Electric Car
America today has an addiction, gasoline an overpriced fuel that we use daily in our lives. In the film Who Killed the Electric Car they talk about the murder of the electric car, a car that is eco friendly, reliable, and is not costing us lives in the middle east. This addiction we have is costing us lives, over using natural resources, and prices are going up every year. The electric car is not just a social problem it is a political problem that has gone for profit than to actually solve economic issues.
Another crisis is the price of gasoline. It is a major interest to almost everyone in the country and almost everywhere in the world. It seems that every month and sometimes every day, gas prices are either spiking or dropping, but never stable. Gas price nowadays is the highest gas price increase since 1990. As consumers across the country drive up to gasoline pumps to fill their tanks, they are all asking the same questions- why are prices rising so quickly to such high levels? People spend more on gasoline and have less money to spend on other purchases these days. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians drive more than 4.2 trillion kilometers per year, burning up 1 liters of gasoline. Scientists announced that fossil fuel will be depleted within 50 years and it is natural that the gas price will go up. Most products require burning up of gasoline in order to be produced, and we will need sufficient amount for economic growth. People who are concerned about the environment and the gas price have already begun to recognize the potential of hybrid and electric cars. By driving in electric or hybrid vehicles, we can contribute to making our environment greener, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and gasoline usage.
Imagine a world where money no longer had value and the only thing of worth was oil. This very well could be the foreseeable future as our dependence upon fossil fuels grows and the supply dwindles. We need to see a change in the way we use these irreplaceable fuels by attacking the source of consumption. Our cars. By sharing technology that was developed centuries ago, our current automobiles are a thing of the past. Technology is always advancing, but for some reason all this technology can only make it possible for me to send Tweets while I am sitting in rush hour traffic. Instead, there needs to be a change in power plant of these automobiles, we need renewable energy and fast. A world without oil is inevitably coming and it seems we are ill prepared. Current combustion engine powered vehicles must become extinct or else we will, due to the crumbling amount of oil left, the horrible pollution burning these fuels cause, and the fact that buying a hybrid will not make this problem go away; it could actually intensify it.