March 13, 2023
Opinion Story
by Tara Malhotra
Electric cars have gained popularity as climate change has gotten worse. After being advertised as a step toward combating global warming, The New York Times found in Nov. 2022 that electric cars became the fastest-growing part of the automobile market in the last two years. These new vehicles receive mixed reviews, but I strongly believe that the benefits of an electric car outweigh its disadvantages.
One of the main ways to reverse global warming is by decreasing the amount of greenhouse gasses we produce. Electric cars provide a quick way to do this, as they do not push harmful byproducts—such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide—into the atmosphere like burning gasoline and diesel fuel does. According to the United States Department of Energy (USDOE), all-electric cars have zero tailpipe emissions, which means there are significantly fewer greenhouse gasses being emitted.
Saving consumption also has additional benefits, such as helping to lower fuel costs. As opposed to paying for gas, which has recently hit a record high, an electric vehicle consumer only has to pay for charging. The Seattle Times reported that an electric car will cumulatively save the average driver $6,000 to $10,000 compared to owning a similar model gas car. This means the initial investment for an electric car saves the consumer money in the future.
Electric cars also have fewer needs for repairs and maintenance. The USDOE announced that gas-powered engines tend to have multiple parts and fail eventually. But, electric motors do not have as many moving parts and need less costly, time-consuming maintenance operations like oil changes or fuel filter replacements. Electric vehicles also include regenerative braking, which lasts twice as long as a gas vehicle’s brake pads.
Lastly, a benefit of electric vehicles is their driving performance. A 2022 Consumer Reports Advocacy Nonprofit Organization project discovered that electric vehicles gain speed faster, drive more smoothly, and are quieter than gas cars. Their research concluded that electric cars have better and more reliable vehicle performance as opposed to gas cars.
On the other hand, there are two main problems that consumers face when deciding on an electric car. The first issue is the cost. The batteries in electric vehicles make them more expensive than most gas cars, according to the United States News and World Report. The second concern with electric cars is centered around their chargers. The chargers can be expensive and challenging to install, which steers multiple buyers away from electric vehicles.
However, both of these problems can be significantly mitigated with the benefits that numerous utility companies provide for electric car pricing and charging. The pricing of electric cars can be decreased, as consumers can receive up to $7,500 in federal tax credits from electric companies such as the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. For chargers, utility companies like the Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power offer incentives up to $2,500 to help cover the price of purchasing and installing electric vehicle chargers. These federal and state benefits assist in solving the problem of pricing and installation of electric cars and their chargers. Government incentives are offered in an effort to encourage the purchase of electric cars.
Electric vehicles are not going to single-handedly fix climate change, but they are a step in the right direction. They can save buyers money and benefit the environment while also displaying better driving performance than gas cars. In addition, lots of utility companies offer incentives for buyers to be partly reimbursed for their purchases. For these reasons, you should consider switching from a gas car to an electric vehicle.
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