Obstacles to switching to electric cars
- E-cars are allegedly no great blessing; they are only a means by which pollution can be shifted from the vehicle itself to power stations burning fossil fuels.
- The manufacturing and disposal of e-car batteries means there is another form of dangerous pollution.
- The electricity network would collapse if everyone suddenly switched to e-cars.
- It takes a long time to charge an e-car and such a vehicle does not allow its driver to travel long distances.
Yet these are all mere myths, according to an article on the website of the INSEAD business school.
Energy consumption and batteries
The truth is that the efficiency of converting primary sources of energy (oil and gas) into movement is vital. Combustion engines small enough to fit inside vehicles must be light. These convert the primary energy source through up to 6000 explosions per minute into movement.
On the other hand, in the case of electricity there are enormous power stations which don’t have to be mobile. A single power station can service millions of cars and any pollution produced can be filtered at this single source, where environmental control is far more efficient. A modern combustion engine in a car has an efficiency ratio of 20%. A modern power plant has 70%.
As far as batteries are considered, intensive research in this area is leading to recycling and refurbishment of car batteries. And the fact still remains that conventional automobiles also require batteries.
-jk-