Electric Cars vs. Gas Cars: Is the Conventional Wisdom Wrong?

In modern society, the next great conflict may be Gas vs. Electric. The struggle to find the next major energy source is upon us and where else would you find them but in our vehicles. Most Americans drive gasoline-powered cars, but the desire for electric cars are on the upswing. This has caused almost every major car manufacturer to either plan to build on or invest money into an electric car company. To fully understand what will be a little conflict we need to see both sides. 

First, Gas powered Cars/Trucks. About, 97.5 percent of cars driven in the US are gas-powered although this number has been slowly regressing most Americans are still pro-gas. Here’s why. Gas-powered cars tend to have better power, low maintenance costs, better agility, acceleration, and speed. Beau Gwaltney (‘20) said, “Gas engines, in my opinion, are better, it easier to repair and tends to last longer.” Most American automobiles are powered by internal combustion engines. Gas or diesel goes in, tiny explosions power pistons and turn the crankshaft, the car moves forward, and carbon dioxide goes out. That leads me to the disadvantages of gas vehicles. The disadvantages include Harmful emissions and Low mileage. Although mpg (miles per gallon) are going up they have been low for many years. It is also already known that one of the biggest world polluters is emissions from cars and trucks. Gas-powered vehicles already have an established infrastructure here in the US. We have gas stations everywhere, places to get your oil changed. In some states, there are gas station attendants that pump your gas for you. This is also because gas has been around a lot longer than electric.

Secondly, Electric powered vehicles. They are the newcomers for the most part in the car market. We started seeing electric-powered vehicles when the were hybrids that are powered by both gas and electric. The sole electric-powered vehicles are somewhat new. So that means they still have flaws such as low mileage on a single charge, the average mileage for an electric car before a recharge is about 100 miles. The only exception is the Tesla Model S, which can go up to 250 miles on a single charge. Kyle Edwards (‘21) said, “Electric cars are the future and that’s inevitable.” “Electrification, you cannot stop it anymore — it’s coming,” says Elmer Kades, a managing director with the consulting firm AlixPartners. “We have fantastic growth rates, between 50 and 60 percent on a global level.” Electric cars are spreading in America like wildfire. Robbie Escalera (‘20) said, “We are losing the battle against emissions and the push towards electric could help that.” China is the leader in electric car ownership and production, but this is aided by having the infrastructure. They have recharge stations and battery swaps. If America gets this they will have a much easier time spreading the use of electric cars. Advantages for electric reduce or even eliminate your fuel costs, reduce car emissions to help the environment, become energy independent instead of gas.

Are electric cars the future or is it still gonna be gas cars, or will there be another energy source? Comment below which side you lean towards.