For most of us, driving is a part of everyday life, and getting from A to B is crucial in our careers and lifestyles.
That being said, with advancements in automotive technology and mechanics, your standard journey from A to B can now be done in the most eco-friendly way.
The solution – is electric vehicles (EVs).
In this article, you’ll learn what EVs are and how they can introduce you to an eco-friendlier way of driving.
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What are electric cars?
EVs are a unique type of vehicle that involve the use of an electric battery and electric motors to propel the car.
In most standard gas cars, the car is propelled through gasoline ignition and combustion occurring in the gas engine. With EVs, the wheels are connected to electric motors which are moved through the electrical charge from the battery.
There are three specific types of EVs, which each have a different mechanical design:
Hybrid vehicles – These cars combine the use of a gas engine and electric battery to run the car. The battery is small, so it only offers a few extra miles on the electric charge, which kicks in at lower speeds. Hybrids need to be refueled with gasoline, and the electric battery charges itself through regenerative braking.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles – Plug-in hybrids also combine gas engines and electric batteries, except the battery in this car is much larger than that of a standard hybrid. As a result, it has an electric range of around 30 miles and can run solely on the battery if the gas runs out. These cars need to be refueled with gasoline, as well as charged at a charging station or through a compatible outlet.
Electric vehicles – Electric vehicles run completely on an electric battery, without the inclusion of a gas engine. These Pure EVs give an average range of 250-350 miles, but higher-end models can extend this past 400 miles. These are the most expensive of the three vehicle types, but their running costs are the lowest, and they require no fuel, only charging.
How are electric cars an eco-friendlier way of driving?
EVs provide the most eco-friendly way of driving for a number of reasons, including:
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Reduced carbon emissions
One of the biggest eco-friendly benefits of driving EVs, is that you can significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions affecting the planet.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas that, when emitted up into the earth’s atmosphere, can be extremely harmful and damaging to the ozone layer, having many knock-on effects through global warming.
A huge contributor towards CO2 emissions is gas engines, since when gas cars burn gasoline, CO2 is released into the atmosphere. Naturally, the more fuel that’s burned, the more harm that’s done to the planet.
However, EVs burn significantly less fuel than standard cars, with hybrids and plug-in hybrids reducing fuel consumption massively, and pure EVs reducing it entirely.
With less fuel being burned in EVs, there’s less CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere, and therefore, results in a cleaner, more protected planet.
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Less harmful substances used
Another way EVs are more eco-friendly is through the way they reduce the number of harmful substances being used and disposed of during their lifespan.
Many standard gas cars used a range of harmful fluids as a fundamental way of running the car. For example, motor oil is an important component in gas cars, and when disposed of incorrectly, it can cause toxic harm to humans and animals.
With pure EVs, these harmful substances aren’t needed, since there’s no gas engine in the car. As a result, there’s less harmful waste being inflicted upon the planet.
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Now that you have all the information you need, why not turn your standard A to B journeys into an eco-friendlier drive?
