Introduction
The thought of electric powered cars that plug into an ordinary wall outlet is widespread throughout Congress, which is beginning to mandate its usage in American cars produced by GM, Chrysler, and Ford. Although the thought of electric cars is popular will it work? Many engineers say no because electricity cannot maintain a charge in a car and electricity is not as powerful as gasoline. Some economists believe that the usage of plug-in cars such as the Chevy Volt will raise demand on electricity causing a rise in electric costs.
Problems With Electric Cars
Electric cars are not as powerful as gasoline powered cars, and they are not as efficient, nor are they cost effective. The problem with them is their battery, simply an electric battery that will power a car cannot hold a charge long enough to constantly power the car. Batteries in the car work up to about 40 miles and can add an extra $10,000 to the price of the car. 40 miles on electricity and then you switch to gasoline until the next time you charge the car. This means you will be paying for both gasoline and electricity. High production and usage of plug-in electric cars puts a lot of stress on the power grid. If every gasoline car in America were instantly converted to a plug-in electric car, that would produce a drastic increase in electricity demand as well as the price of electricity. The politicians that seek to do this would have to allow construction of hundreds of new power plants, meaning much more coal and natural gas would have to be mined or drilled. We also need to remember that GM almost went bankrupt when it tried to create an electric car back in the late 1990's.