In these latter days, it is hard to imagine the world around without automobiles. They are everywhere and have become an essential part of human’s everyday life. Significant part of people has own autos, and even more of them can drive. However, technological progress does not stand still; everything changes, and automobiles are not an exception. Nowadays, the problem of environmental pollution is especially acute, and gasoline-powered engines, which are one of the main reasons of air contamination, silently recede into the past giving place to electro motors. Electric cars enter people’s lives and symbolize the era of “clean” technologies without negative impact on the environment. The aim of this work is to give a description of electric cars, define their role and place in society, and explain why they should be included in the BBC’s “History of the World in 100 Objects” list.
First electric cars appeared as early as at the end of the nineteenth – beginning of the twentieth centuries. According to Westbrook, the main invention anticipating creation of electronic automobiles was Alessandro Volta’s discovery of ways allowing storage and keeping of electrical energy in 1800, while the first electric auto was invented around 1880 (Westbrook 6). Electric automobiles were much more popular than the gasoline cars of those times providing higher level of comfort and simplicity of operation. However, soon the invention of the internal combustion engine, increased variety of gasoline cars, clear advantages of refueling speed under recharge, and organized by Henry Ford mass production of gasoline automobiles led to absence of demand on electric automobiles and their phased disappearing; according to Kirsch, only one of one thousand autos constructed those times was electric (Kirsch 15). During mid and late twentieth century, the interest towards electric automobiles started to rise again, but the main question was how to solve problems of maximal speed, operation, possible time of driving without recharge, and recharge itself. Such automotive giants as the United States and Canada developed programs dedicated to search of solution and developing of the optimal electric car. It became especially timely during the energy crises of 1970s and 1980s, when oil prices increased significantly. However, invented then electric cars eventually left an American market being pushed out by gasoline autos and oil giants.
The next explosion of interest towards electric cars was connected with the Global Economic Recession of 2008. SUVs that are known for high petrol consumptions lose in comparing with small autos, hybrids, and electric cars. Elon Mask and his company Tesla Motors began developing and construction of the electric automobile named Tesla Roadster, their first model of modern electric cars. Following Tesla, Japanese auto giants Mitsubishi and Nissan designed their own models of electric cars, the Mitsibishi i-MiEV and the Nissan Leaf. At the beginning of the second decade of the twenty-first century, the problem of reduction the United States dependency on oil became one of the central themes in the government policy, and questions of designing electric autos and their mass production started to be especially timely (One Million Electric Vehicles 2).
Electric cars themselves are recognized environmentally friendly, but their manufacturing cannot be considered the same. Larminie detaches six basic types of modern electric vehicles, but the battery ones are the most simple and common (Larminie 8). Battery packs that form the core of electric vehicles are rather heavy, so in order to decrease weight of the whole automobile manufactories use lightweight materials such as carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic and aluminum; as it is well-known, their making requires a lot of energy and power, and negatively influence on the environment. The same can be said about batteries and electric motors that often contain inside rare earth metals (“Unclean at Any Speed”). The whole manufacturing process divides into two phases: the first one is handcrafting of the body of future auto, and the second is general assembly, where the process of manufacturing undergoes quality control. In modern electric autos, electric motors are capable of providing high power-to-weight ratios, and batteries are designed the way to support their work. The engine is usually large enough, and provides brisk acceleration allowing the car pick-up to the high speed fast. In addition, modern electric motor has constant torque, and due to this its indicated power has the same value as indicated power of the internal combustion engine. In other words, construction of the modern electric automobiles makes them great competitors of the gasoline ones.
Electric cars are an important part of future development of automotive industry. They allow solving such problems as environmental pollution, national resources scarcity, and huge world dependence on oil and its prices. Nowadays, electric mobiles have not been in general use yet. However, even if it does not happen in the nearest future, it is a possibility for further developments. The technology that is used in electric cars is also applied to driverless cars known for being fully automotive and operated by computer. Such cars allow significant decreasing of the amount of accidents, cause most of them happen due to human mistakes, and without drivers such mistakes will not take place, and solving the problem of traffics.
Electric cars are also connected with economy. Talking about running costs for electric automobiles, it is possible to look through, for example, calculations made by the US Department of Energy in 2014. According to them, Nissan Leaf can save its owners about 75% comparing with an ordinary gasoline car (Fuel Economy Guide 34). And in the current climate, when oil prices continuously rise, and battery prices decrease, that ratio will permanently change. Now the main disadvantage of electric mobiles is their price, which is mush higher than price of ordinary gasoline autos, and it is mostly due to the price of lithium-ion battery puck; this question, however, can be solved in the nearest future together with technological progress, development of battery market and appearing of cheaper alternatives, and improving of electric cars technology.
The twenty-first century depicts the beginning of the alternative sources of energy, decreasing of dependency on extractable resources, and environmental protection. In other words, the twenty-first century means entering the era of “clean” technologies based on natural energy resources and protecting nature and people’s lives. Of course, a number of such technologies has been already created and is used, but not being commonly displayed and not in close connection with most part of global population. Thus, modern electric automobiles are a big step forward; their presence of the roads proves that the future is near, and it is possible to move into the new completely different times. In my opinion, electric cars are a symbol of future changes; thus, I think, they should be included in the BBC’s “History of the World in 100 Objects” list.
Works Cited
Kirsch, D. The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History. London: Rutgers University Press, 2000. Print.
Larminie J., and Lowry J. Electric Vehicle Technology Explained. Chippenham: John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2003.
United States. Department of Energy. One Million Electric Vehicles By 2015. February 2011 Status Report. Washington: GPO, 2011. PDF.
United States. Department of Energy. Fuel Economy Guide. Washington: GPO, 2014. PDF.
Westbrook, M. The Electric Car: Development and Future of Battery, Hybrid and Fuel-cell Cars. London: The Institution of Electrical Engineers, 2005. Print.
Zehner, O. “Unclean at Any Speed.” IEEE Spectrum. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jun 2013. Web. Accessed 27 Feb 2016.
