A Claim of Policy: Electric Cars Essay

Over the last couple of years, the world of automobiles has seen one of the biggest changes in its sector with the introduction of battery-powered vehicles otherwise known as electric vehicles (EVs). Many countries and states especially those in Europe and America have embraced these vehicles because they not only reduce fuel consumption but also reduce the amount of pollution that has been a global menace. Electric vehicles also raise environmental concerns of their own. Therefore, even as the whole world continues to follow suit in embracing electric vehicles, it should be noted that electric vehicles do not entirely help solve the issue of environmental pollution and therefore more policies and innovations need to be adapted to ensure that these vehicles are entirely 'green'.

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Electric cars run on electricity stored in its battery either sometimes or all the time. They came into the scene in early 1900 when they sold out all other vehicle types. In 1900, close to 30% of all the cars that were produced in the United States were electric (Thompson). In the same year, the value of these electric cars that were sold was approximated to be higher than the steam and gasoline-powered vehicles that were sold in that year.

Many people appreciated these cars because they had a significant advantage over these other cars, apart from the fact that they were considered better because they did not require gear shifts. The steam-powered car also did not require gear changes, but they took a long time to start especially during the cold mornings. This was the ideal car for those who did not want a car that required manual effort to start or struggle with the gear shifts. The vehicle was classy in that their interiors were fancy built from an expensive material. Looking at this trend, many of the modern electric cars still continue to embrace these characteristics.

The production of electric cars in the United States declined in the 1920s because of several significant developments that took place in the country. The first was the development of a better road network system that connected the major cities and states. As a result, there was a need for long-range vehicles that could cover these distances. The discovery of oil in Texas also contributed to the decline in production because of the decrease in gasoline prices making it affordable for the local consumer. The electric starter that was invented by Charles Kettering also eliminated the hand crack which was required to start the engine's internal combustion. Finally, the mass production of domestic engine combustion vehicles by Henry Ford made the cars widely available and affordable for many people.

From that point, production of electric cars declined significantly until in the 1960s and 70s when there was a need for alternative-fueled vehicles in order to reduce exhaust emissions from combusted fuel as well as lowering the dependency of imported crude oil. The same period saw the production of several electric vehicles such as the Battronic electric trucks that involved a joint venture between the Battronic Truck Company, the Exide Division of Electric Battery Company, and the Smith Deliver Vehicle, Ltd. This was followed by the production of utility vans in 1973. In the mid-1970s the company also produced close to 20 passenger buses. This paved the way for the production of more electric cars as well as promoting innovation in the same field.

In the United States, the development of electric cars was greatly advocated by policies like the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990, the Energy Policy of 1992 and regulations that were issued by certain states like the California Air Resources Board. As time went by there were more regulations and tougher air emissions requirement that were aimed at reducing the use of gasoline. In fact, some states issued Zero Emission Vehicle requirements.

During that period the United States Department of Energy, the three biggest automobile manufactures during that period - Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, and a good number of vehicle conversion companies were involved in the production of electric vehicles under the Partnership that was titled; New Generation of Vehicles. The project saw the electric conversion of vehicles that were gasoline-powered that were already in the market as well as building others from the ground up. These cars were capable of highway speeds of up to 150 miles per hour between recharging. One example was the Chevrolet S-10 pickup that was converted into an electric car - powered by dual alternating current motors and lead batteries - with an average speed of 60 miles per hour and recharged in less than 7 hours. From that period, electric vehicles grew in production with other global companies like Toyota and Nissan joining in the production.

The electric cars were mainly embraced to provide a solution to a problem that was ailing the world then and continues to affect the world now - Air pollution. Air pollution continues to be one of the most significant and most pressing issues in the world (Kinhal). There are various kinds of air pollution that contribute to various human health problems and climate change. It was identified by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality that the Clean Air Act of 1970 recognized the following as the primary air pollutants; lead, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen gases, carbon monoxide, particle matter, and ozone. According to the American Lung Association, the most harmful contaminants on human health include smog or ozone and soot or particle pollution.

Ozone or tropospheric ozone is a pollutant formed from a chemical reaction between sunlight and emission gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and the volatile organic compounds. These gases are mainly emitted when carbon or fossil fuels are burnt. Unlike the natural ozone that protects us from exposure to direct sun radiation, tropospheric ozone creates a harmful layer in the atmosphere responsible for trapping radiations that cause global warming and allowing these harmful radiations into the earth's atmosphere. The ozone pollution is higher in the months that experience higher sun intervals.

The health implications that are related to the ozone pollution include short-term health issues that follow direct exposure include, skin irritation and acute respiratory problems. The long-term health issues include higher rates of pulmonary disease, asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. People working outside have been found out to be the highest affected individuals. Ozone also affects the environment in various ways which include damaging the ecosystem, plants, and wildlife. In the United States, the increasing air pollution is associated with the reduction in the annual crop production.

Particle pollution has also been identified by the American Lung Association as one of the most dangerous pollutants to human health. Unfortunately, particles responsible for pollution are widespread throughout the environment. The particles are composed of solid and liquid particles made up of chemicals, soot, ash, metal, and diesel exhaust. The CDC has indicated that these particle martial responsible for pollution are classified according to their sources. The first category originates from primary sources while the other from secondary sources. Primary sources have the capability to cause pollution on their own while the secondary ones left off gases that can collectively lead to the formation of pollution particles. Factories and motor vehicles are both primary and secondary sources.

Even at low concentrations, particles like ammonia, nitrates, sulfates, sodium chloride, black carbon and mineral dust, can be dangerous which results in increased morbidity and mortality. This form of pollution has been found out to affect more people than any other pollution.

Motor vehicles have been associated with the primary sources of urban air pollution. They contribute to 72% of carbon monoxide emissions, 70% of all nitrogen oxides emissions, 28% of all volatile organic compounds emissions, 31% of all emissions of small particles and 6% of all sulfur dioxide emissions. The results of these emissions have already started been felt all over the world with changes in climate. The particles emitted can also build up in the air to form autumn or winter smog during the cool months.

Motor vehicles have been identified to contribute to close to half or the nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide emitted into the air (Union Of Concerned Scientists). They have also been identified to emit a quarter of the hydrocarbons emitted into the atmosphere. The particle matter is formed from soot, tires, and metals which give smog its color. These are the main threats to our environment

The electric cars are a source of noise pollution. The vehicles will not eliminate the noise produced when on the move, that is, from the road surface and the tires. Some particles are released into the air from the contact between the car tires and the road surface. The electric cars will still contribute to the emission of the particles. Therefore, there is an addition of particles from the modern vehicles too (Fuller). The substances in the air cause health conditions when inhaled and they can be deadly after affecting the respiratory system. The particle pollution has led to a high rate of mortality compared to the emission of nitrogen (IV) oxide (Carrington). There are actions to deal with the nitrogen (IV) oxide levels while the small particles are not considered as a cause of health problems and deaths (Carrington).

The electric cars will lead to the increase in the number of vehicles on the roads and parking lots. The communities have to provide space for the cars for low capacity modes of transportation with the increase in the population leading to space pollution. The growth in the society requires safe and expanded means of transport, and the electric cars do not solve this problem, and instead, they occupy more space (Carrington). The solution lies in obtaining means of transport that is convenient for the growing urban cities and one that eliminates the pollution. The cars are dependent on electricity as their primary source of power. Some areas have little or no access to clean energy, and they, therefore, lead to the production of the same emission of carbon (IV) oxide as the regular cars. The use of renewable energy will also lead to more production of the carbon (IV) oxide gas (dw.com)

The electric cars have made progress in the status of the environment by eliminating the emission of nitrogen (IV) oxide and carbon (IV) oxide gases when driven. In some places, electricity is produced from coal and gas. Therefore, there has been the production of the carbon (IV) oxide from the power plants charging the electric cars (dw.com). The noise pollution has been decreased such that the noise only comes from the contact between the car tires and the road. The cars have intense energy producing batteries which make their disposal a threat to the environment. The electric cars require more energy for their production (dw.com). There has to be mining to acquire the minerals required for the batteries which lead to pollution of air, soil, and water.

There is a lot of energy used from the production of the electric cars to their usage, and it is not environmentally friendly for the places that have to produce electricity from plant sources that pollute the environment (dw.com). There is more loss than before when the health of the people is deteriorating due to the rise of the respiratory problems and other conditions brought about by the increased particles in the environment.

Conclusion

Some analysts have also indicated that the sustainability of electric cars is not very clear. In fact, they advocate rethinking of the entire transport paradigm. Analysi...