However, despite the environmental benefits of electric vehicles, many Americans are still unwilling to purchase them. One of the reasons is the higher initial outlay. Despite their greater initial cost, new research released on Thursday suggests that drivers may potentially save money over the course of their ownership of an electric vehicle. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) crunched the numbers to come to this conclusion by calculating the carbon dioxide emissions as well as the total lifetime cost of practically every new car type on the market. Electric cars have been around for a while but they’re still not common. That’s why this article shows you why electric cars are better than gas cars.

Contents

1. There was little doubt that electric cars were more environmentally benign than gasoline-powered vehicles.

In the long run, they were often less expensive. According to climate scientists, electrifying vehicles is one of the best strategies to cut greenhouse gas emissions that warm the globe. The transportation industry in the United States is the largest source of pollutants, with cars and trucks accounting for the majority of those emissions. As the study’s lead author, Jessika Trancik, hopes the findings will “help individuals learn about how those upfront payments are dispersed throughout the lifetime of the car,” she told the Boston Globe. A higher upfront cost for electric cars is countered by cheaper maintenance expenses and lower charging costs compared to gasoline pricing. Fewer moving components and no oil changes make battery-powered motors more reliable than gasoline engines. This lowers wear and tear on the vehicle’s components because of the regenerative braking.) Although the battery production process generates more emissions, cars are becoming greener over time. For Dr. Trancik, it would take anything from six to 18 months to compensate for the manufacturing emissions of an electric vehicle, depending on how clean the energy grid where the car charges are

More mixed results were found for both pollution and prices for hybrid vehicles that run on a combination of fuels and batteries and can be plugged into the grid. However, while some hybrids had lower carbon dioxide emissions and were less expensive than conventional automobiles, others remained in the same price and emissions range as gas-only vehicles. As a general rule, traditional gasoline-powered vehicles were the least environmentally friendly alternative, but long-term costs and emissions varied widely. Compact automobiles were typically less expensive and more environmentally friendly than gas-powered SUVs and premium sedans. As a result of their research, Dr. Trancik and his team have created an online application that allows users to calculate the true environmental and financial consequences of their car purchases. According to the new findings, electric automobiles can save consumers money during their lifetimes, which is consistent with a study published in 2016.

2. Comparing different automobiles can be both useful and surprising.

The most popular electric automobile in the United States is the Tesla Model 3. It was anticipated that the most basic model, which costs $11,000 less upfront, would have a lifetime cost equivalent to that of a Nissan Altima. In spite of Tesla’s federal tax incentive for electric automobiles expiring, the company continues to make money. Additionally, Toyota’s hybrid version of the popular RAV4 SUV is less expensive in the long term than a comparable conventional model, despite its higher retail price. As shown in the graphs above, the lifetime cost of gasoline and electricity might vary depending on where potential purchasers live. (Users can enter their own local rates into the interactive tool.) As a rule of thumb, for average power expenses, Hawaii, Alaska, and regions of New England tend to have some of the most expensive rates. Gulf Coast gas costs are lower than California’s.

According to Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) research, however, charging a vehicle was still more cost-effective than filling up at the pump in 50 major American cities. One of the group’s Clean Transportation Program engineers remarked, “We noticed potential savings everywhere,” according to David Reichmuth, a senior engineer. It’s still difficult for many people to afford an electric vehicle because of the initial expense. Although the federal government does grant a tax credit for select new electric vehicle sales, this does not lower their initial purchase price and does not apply to used cars. Wealthier Americans are more likely to gain from it. Additional incentives are available in some states, such as California. The incoming president-elect, Joseph R. Biden Jr., has promised to offer incentives to assist consumers in swapping inefficient, outdated cars for cleaner new ones and to build 500,000 more electric vehicle charging points. For electric cars to become more affordable, battery prices must fall, says Chris Gearhart, director of the Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Conclusion

Electric cars are better than gas cars because they are lighter, more efficient, and more economical. Learn why electric cars are better than gas cars. A few years ago, electric vehicles were significantly more expensive than their gasoline-powered equivalents. Although electric cars are becoming increasingly popular, you may be wondering how long it takes to charge an electric car and whether or not you should buy one. New battery technology, high-speed charging equipment, and manufacturing economies of scale have led us to a turning point in the electric vehicle industry. To put it another way, here’s why so many people are leaving their gas guzzlers in favor of electric vehicles. Electrified vehicles without tailpipes are cleaner than those with tailpipes, and that’s a slam dunk for environmentalists. However, the analysis itself is not as straightforward as it may seem.

The vehicles you’re comparing the need to be examined throughout the entire process, from production to disposal, in order to be accurate. An LCA considers all aspects of a product’s life cycle, including extraction, production, packing, and transportation, as well as usage and disposal. To add to the confusion, in 2007, a study claimed that the Toyota Prius hybrid polluted more than a GM Hummer throughout its lifetime. But the electrics get the nod from the cool heads. There is an international body called the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), whose purpose is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all modes of transportation around the world.