The U.S. administration is planning to make the U.S. an electric-car country by 2033. But what can electric cars exactly do for the environment?
The world’s leaders are finding ways to prevent climate change due to their promises to stop the phenomenon by 2030. One of the most significant moves is made by the US in where they are planning to change gas-powered cars to electric cars. But what can electric vehicles do in the face of climate change, and can they have a significant impact on the way we do things?
The current US administration is planning to phase out gas-powered cars and replace them with electric-powered ones. The main goal is to have 100% of the vehicles running in the US to be electric-powered by 2030. Many argue that this was more of an economic plan than an environmental one, considering that Tesla is a great American company with thousands of wealthy stakeholders. To get into the effectiveness of this strategy and see if it will decrease climate change in the future, we have first to discuss electric cars.
Electric Cars
Electric cars are undoubtedly more environmentally-friendly than traditional cars, but it still affects the environment. One of them is the infrastructure needed to charge these electric cars.
Charging Stations
Fossil fuels still power charging stations. Although there is a decline in fossil fuel usage in the US during the past years, inevitably, we will still be using it once electric cars are out in public. The main reason for this is those alternative ways to get green energy such as solar power and wind power need to be utilized alongside electric cars, but this is a costly endeavor.
The plans for switching to electric cars by 2030 didn’t dictate whether the US will also use green energy to power these cars. So there’s still much work to be done if we want to get vehicles like this moving on the road. Another problem with electric vehicles is their optimization. They aren’t meant to be used for long drives.
Limitations
Electric cars require to be charged quite often. This means increased use of electricity, which will then lead to a growth in fossil fuel consumption. Electricity costs can also skyrocket in homes that have charging stations. Not to mention, electric cars don’t travel as far as traditional cars.
Tesla is improving their range limitation. The company’s newest model (Tesla Model S) can travel up to 405 miles when fully charged. Compared to its previous model, it can travel significantly further but is still way less than traditional cars, which can travel 495 miles on average.
Cars for the Rich?
Arguably, electric cars, such as the ones coming from Tesla, are significantly more expensive than traditional cars in the market. Another problem is that the cheapest model sold by the company also performs less than average compared to conventional vehicles. This is certainly a problem if the government wants to make a switch to electric cars by 2033.
Another problem is that other car manufacturers are lagging in producing and developing electric cars, with some manufacturers concentrating their efforts on hydrogen cars. They need to have electric cars in production and on sale by this year if they want to reach the intended goal, but that’s just nigh impossible.
How About Hydrogen Cars?
Hydrogen cars are an alternative to electric cars. It’s not all that better than electric cars since it uses one of the most precious natural resources in the world to function, but it does have less residue. Moreover, they are more affordable than electric cars, especially when it comes to fueling them. A good mix of electric and hydrogen cars on the road can be a good solution to tackle the economic problems and unhealthy feedback loop of electric cars.
The Bottom Line
The reality is that the switch to electric cars isn’t going to stop climate change. Not by a long shot. There are many other ways we can stop climate change. The installation of solar panels in many homes is still the most efficient and effective way to fight climate change. Unlike electric cars, there is no unhealthy feedback loop within this system. No residue can affect the environment, making it the number one strategy to fight climate change, and it doesn’t rely on charging stations to function. So, yes, electric vehicles can still be a great way to stop climate change on its tracks, but we still have to implement other measures if we want to stop it entirely.
Fighting for climate change should be everyone’s goal this year. However, we have to contribute little by little if we want to reach our goals of stopping climate change by 2030. We are slowly heading to the right decision, and all it takes is for us to make more decisions like this one to help eventually reach our goal.
