Internal combustion engine Essay Example for Free

Internal combustion engine Essay An electric car is a vehicle which is driven by electric engines. The engines use electrical energy which is usually stored in batteries. Electric car is a variation of electric vehicle (EV). EV speaks of any vehicles which are propelled by electric engines. â€Å"Electric car† is a general term for high-speed vehicles which are powered by electricity. In the United States, low-speed vehicles which are powered by electricity are known as neighbourhood electric vehicles (NEVs), and as electric motorised quadricycles in Europe. Electric cars which are powered by different energy sources are also referred to by different names: if they are powered by sunlight, they are called solar cars. If they are powered by gasoline generators, they are called hybrid cars. The term â€Å"electric car† is usually referring to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which are powered by on-board battery packs. Advantages of Electric Cars The first thing which comes to people’s mind when we talk about the advantages of electric cars is usually on pollution. Electric cars do not cause pollution related to internal combustion engines. The electricity used to recharge electric cars obviously has to come from somewhere, and most of the electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels. Yes, this causes pollution for sure, but there are also other methods to produce electricity. Hydropower and nuclear plants have helped in cutting the carbon emissions. Despite all the electricity production, the carbon emissions produced by electric cars is said to be half of what gas-powered cars produce. Another major advantage is you do not need gas anymore. In a year, an average American spends around $2,000 to $4,000 on gas only. Although electricity is not free, the fact that you do not have to pay so much for gas is relieving. The third advantage which needs to be stressed on is the batteries. Though you cannot drive many hundred miles with an electric car, you can still travel a rather long distance. An electric car can travel up to 100 miles on full battery. The distance it can provide is perfect for you to travel from your home to your workplace, and vice versa. Also the batteries recycle well. Almost 100 per cent of the batteries can be recycled; this helps preventing it from causing disposal problems. Electric cars are more efficient compared to gas-powered cars, in terms of energy and maintenance. Electric engines use 75 per cent of the energy from the batteries to run the wheels, while internal combustion engines only use about 20 per cent of the energy from fuel. Electrical engines also require less maintenance compared to internal combustion engines. You no longer need oil to lubricate the engine. The brakes would not wear off as quickly as gas-powered cars. You do not need belts in the engines, which will wear out due to overuse, in electric cars. Disadvantages of Electric Cars The major disadvantage of an electric car is the batteries. Electric car batteries are not cheap. They can cost around $5,000, and the better the batteries, the more expensive they are. Not only are they expensive, but you will also need to change them more than once, as the batteries have a limited lifetime. The time required for recharging the batteries is also very lengthy. To fully charge the batteries, you need 4 to 8 hours. This is a very serious disadvantage, as most people need to have their cars ready 24/7. With gas-powered cars, you just need a few minutes to fully refill the tank. Still on the batteries, another disadvantageous factor is their size and weight. Batteries used for electric cars need to be linked together into arrays, which form battery packs. Battery packs are bulky and heavy. They take up a significant amount of the vehicle space. Given the heavy weight, they battery packs can reduce the distance of how far the car can travel. Another disadvantage is the silence of electric cars. Yes, it can be soothing for some people, but it can also be dangerous for others. People usually listen to the sound of the revving engines when cars are coming up behind or beside them. When it is silent, they might not notice the cars and they can end up in an accident. Bibliography Bhat, N. (n. d. ). The Future: Our Planet in 2050 | Electric Cars. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from ThinkQuest: http://library. thinkquest. org/C008050/ecars4. html CarsDirect. (2012, January 27). Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from CarsDirect: http://www. carsdirect. com/green-cars/electric-cars-advantages-and-disadvantages Demuro, D. (n. d.). Electric Cars: Benefits and Disadvantages. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from AutoTrader: http://www. autotrader. com/research/article/car-tips/208155/electric-cars-benefits-and-disadvantages. jsp Enterprise Industry magazine. (2012, July 13). Automotive Industry. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from European Commissions Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry: http://ec. europa. eu/enterprise/sectors/automotive/index_en. htm Fix, L. (n. d. ). Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from Lauren Fix, The Car Coach, Automotive Expert: http://www.laurenfix. com/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Electric-Cars Khan, A. (2012, November 25). Advantages and Disadvantages of an Electric Car! Retrieved November 06, 2013, from Tune Article: http://www. tunearticle. com/article-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-an-electric-car-. html Lampton, C. (2008, August 18). How Electric Car Batteries Work. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from HowStuffWorks: http://auto. howstuffworks. com/fuel-efficiency/vehicles/electric-car-battery. htm National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT. (1998, June 17). Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): http://www. nhtsa. gov/cars/rules/rulings/lsv/lsv. html#lsv48 Pedrovsky. (2012, February 24). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Vehicles. Retrieved November 06, 2013, from HubPages: http://pedrovsky. hubpages. com/hub/The-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-electric-vehicles Zak, B. (2011, April 04). Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars. Retrieved November 06, 2013, from Goal for the Green: http://www. goalforthegreen. com/2011/04/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-electr.