Electric VS Fossil Fuel Cars - G4 Biology
- Zofia Sztabińska
- Jun 2, 2023
- 7 min read
The first cars were invented in the 19th century and have ever since been the topic of discussion but, more importantly, they have changed the history of transport. Today they are one of the most common vehicles used on a global scale. Naturally, the first vehicles differed diametrically from what is much more common nowadays. We can distinguish two primary types of cars - fossil fuel-powered and electric ones. Fossil fuel cars can be powered mainly by gasoline or diesel. Although fossil fuel cars have been leaders in the industry for over a century, in recent years it has been stated that electric vehicles are considered the “future of transport” and an environmental-friendly alternative to their fossil fuel competitors, due to the growing awareness about pollution, climate change, and greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, are those assumptions correct? While considering any problem, every aspect should be talked through. This article will discuss the pros and cons of fossil fuel and electric cars to raise awareness on this popular topic by exploring the impacts of such vehicles on various aspects.
ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRIC CARS
What is more, EV users claim that there is not much maintenance when it comes to their vehicles. Electric cars have fewer parts than internal combustion engines present in fossil cars. Electric cars consist of an electric motor, transmission, rotor, and drivetrain. Electric vehicles’ regenerative braking is performed by the electric motor (the system slows itself down when the acceleration button is not pushed), instead of the brakes, like in fossil cars, which means there is a much lower risk of brake damage. There is also no oil change. Dealerships often offer them inspections every year. There are apps available that regularly give the user a report concerning the condition of the car.
It is also important to mention that the greenhouse gas emission that a car creates over the period of its production and usage is far bigger than fossil fuel-powered cars. Electric cars during their in-use period do not produce tailpipe emissions at all and thus do not actively contribute to air pollution. It is only the making of an electric vehicle, especially its battery, that has a more negative effect on the environment than a gasoline-dependent car. At the end of a car's lifespan, it is clear that gas-dependent cars cause more damaging effects as they emit much more harmful gasses into the atmosphere. In addition, electric vehicles and their manufacturing process are and will be developing alongside technology to further diminish their negative effects and make them a better, greener option.
The implementation of low emission zones (LEZs) is a measure taken to reduce air pollution and promote cleaner transportation. LEZs are areas where access is restricted or regulated based on the emission level of vehicles. Vehicles that do not fulfill these requirements are banned from such zones or required a fee to enter. Older diesel and petrol cars are slowly being banned from entering cities with such zones. Electric cars do not contribute to air pollution, therefore they are free to enter such areas. Moreover, some cities allow free parking for electric vehicles.
Lastly, electric cars are cheaper to sustain. In some countries where those electric innovations are popular, the cost of charging an EV is roughly half the price of powering a standard car based on gasoline while the same distance.
DISADVANTAGES OF ELECTRIC CARS
Unfortunately, every coin has two sides and so do the electric cars. According to McKinsey’s 2016 EV consumer survey, potential consumers rank limited access to charging stations as the third most detrimental factor in preventing EV purchases, behind the price and driving range. It is estimated that about 120 million electric cars could be on the road in China, the EU, and the United States by 2030. The increasing energy demand will also require billion-dollar-worth investments to meet the need for chargers, however, countries are not keen to invest such an amount of money in public charging spots while the utilization rates are still low. To change that, a collaborative effort would be required - it is crucial to adapt to specific local needs, such as installing charging stations in residential areas, workplaces, and major transportation routes. Not only could an investment in charging stations lead to increased convenience of owning an EV, but also increase the confidence in traveling long distances without the need to worry about a battery running out, which could promote the use of electric vehicles.
Another negative aspect of electric cars is what happens to them and how it impacts the environment when it is involved in an accident or simply malfunction. When an EV is on fire it is much harder to fight than a fossil fuel car. EV contains a lithium-ion battery. Electric cars are most likely to catch fire when a battery separator is damaged, the energy in the form of heat is then released and the car catches fire. Cooling it down with water will only slow down the fire. The process is much more complicated with the use of firefighting systems placed on an accumulator.
Studies have shown that battery making and other manufacturing in electric vehicles produce more greenhouse gas emissions than gas vehicles and require lots of energy. Charging electric cars also greatly contributes to GHG pollution because it is strictly dependent on the type of sources that an energy plant’s power is generated - whether these are coal and gas or renewable energy sources like sun or wind.
The cost of an electric car is also something worth mentioning. When compared to a standard vehicle, buying an electric vehicle typically comes at a higher price. A typical electric automobile cost $18,000 more than a gas-powered one as of July 2022. The cost of the battery used to power EVs is a major reason for the high price.
The last and most crucial disadvantage of the EV is the batteries and their prices. One-third of electric cars' cost is dependent on the battery. Even if the charging costs are lower than for the standard fossil-fueled car, the cost of the battery is outrageous.
FOSSIL FUELS
Cars use fossil fuels as their main source of power - 89% of CO2 emissions came from fossil fuels and industry (2018). The use of fossil-based fuels as a source of energy causes automobiles to emit a mixture of greenhouse gases and smog compounds which negatively affect the surrounding environment. From a biological perspective, the introduction of CO2 in large quantities destroys the delicate balance that nature attempts to uphold. Compared to electric cars, the redeeming quality of fossil fuel cars is their lower production carbon footprint. Even so, the true emission costs of using fossil fuel automobiles stem from the use of refined to different stages of crude oil.
There are two types of fuels used by automobiles, those being petroleum and diesel. Of those two, diesel engines emit around 15% more carbon emissions compared to petroleum-based engines. This difference in itself is crucial from the perspective of the environment, which is already oversaturated with CO2 and other gases. The compounds remain in the atmosphere due to the fact that plants that recycle carbon dioxide into energy and oxygen can only convert to a specific threshold. Thus the constant influx of greenhouse gases produced through the process of combustion within the engine, without the possibility of actively removing carbon from the environment, becomes stored in carbon sinks.
Some of these sinks, for example, the oceans are not acclimated to containing such high concentrations of CO2, which causes complications for the environment, such as acidification of the water. The speed at which the pH is dropping poses a threat to the biodiversity of marine life and the environment as a whole. The excess CO2 consumes the oxygen within the oceans forming H2CO3, which marine life is not adapted to combating in such high concentrations.
Another well-known downside of fossil fuel cars is their influence on global climate change. The emission of greenhouse gases causes the strengthening of the global warming effect, which has dramatic consequences for the environment as a whole, causing irreparable damage on all levels ranging from the soil and oceans to weather patterns and biomes.
CONCLUSION
Motor vehicles have allowed people to travel more efficiently. Thanks to this invention humanity became more mobile and thus numerous new opportunities were available to people. Cars evolved and new technologies were implemented to make them safer, faster and less disadvantageous to the natural environment. Now in the 21st century the consequences of their use are more visible than ever. No matter the engine or type of fuel their exhibit many drawbacks regarding cost of production, availability, practicality or pollution they produce. Biological ecosystems have faced negative consequences primarily connected to the rapid influx of CO2 gas into the atmosphere, which took a negative toll on the greenhouse effect or air quality affecting public health and increasing frequencies of respiratory diseases among people living in cities. The large excess of carbon dioxide, which was partly brought on by automobiles, was stored in the soil and the water, unfavourably affecting the natural organisms that exist there. Scientists are still working to advance technology utilized in our automobiles today in order to combine their benefits and do away with their considerable disadvantages to make them as biologically secure as possible.
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