Topic > ""Zero Emissions": Electric Cars Are Better for the Environment who drive a Tesla or a Prius automatically think "wow clean energy" or "zero emissions", but are they really helping the environment as much as we think we all love and want an electric car because of the driving we all do, I'm there 'perfect car. The technology of these cars improves every day, for example the new Tesla can get up to 370 miles per charge. It's crazy to think because the average American driver drives an estimated 29.2 miles per day. no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned" Get an Original Essay When electric vehicles were first introduced, they were advertised as a way to drive around. your daily movements in a simple and efficient way. A way to drive daily without ever having to fill up at a petrol station. Well, they are starting to gain popularity and everywhere you look, you now see electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are sleek and quiet, they keep the air clean, and for most of the short commutes we all take, they're the perfect way to get from point A to point B safely, reliably, and comfortably. “80% of drivers travel less than 40 miles round trip for their daily commute.” And what's more, owning an electric vehicle costs on average only half as much as a regular combustion engine. As an automotive student here at Weber State University, all of these are things we are currently learning. Everyone always talks about how good electric vehicles are and everything. But in my Chemistry 1010 class, we talked about where our energy comes from. The energy we use in our daily lives. And what struck me is that most of our energy is produced by fossil fuels, these power plants have been a health concern for citizens here in Utah. After hearing this, it made me think, if we are so worried about internal combustion engine cars being bad for our environment, why haven't we thought about power plants, where most of these electric cars get their energy.IntroductionIntroduction : We've all seen that person in the Tesla driving around with license plates that said "Zero Emissions" or "Clean Air." We all look at it and say what a beautiful car, which has zero emissions and is good for the environment. But is it really Zero Emissions? Context: Electric vehicles need to charge their car, either at home or at a charging station. All the electricity used to charge the “Zero Emissions” car comes from somewhere, in our case from Utah. Most of our energy comes from power plants. Power plants have been a major concern for Utah citizens. With Salt Lake City becoming the place with the lowest air quality in the entire United States, this topic is something we're all thinking about. Thesis Statement: In this article I will talk about how electric vehicles work, how combustion engines work, how both internal combustion engines and electric vehicles contribute to air pollution, and what is best for our environment. How electric vehicles work Electric vehicles have been Around 1832, Robert Anderson develops the first crude electric vehicle, but it is not until 1870 or later that electric vehiclesthey become practical. And in 1890, the first electric vehicles debuted in the United States. Evidence and Citations: Electric vehicles have become increasingly practical since then. Especially after gas prices began to skyrocket in the United States around the 1970s, electric vehicles began to become more and more common. Topic phrase: Every electric vehicle works differently. There are three main types of electric vehicles. Battery electric vehicles, also known as BEVs, PHEVs connect to hybrid electric vehicles, and PHEVs connect to hybrid electric vehicles. Evidence and quotes: Battery electric vehicles are completely powered by the battery, with no petrol or diesel on board, just a battery that powers the electric motor. Battery electric vehicles are equipped with high-capacity battery packs that store all the electricity on board. The high-capacity battery is used to power the electric motor and all on-board electronics. Battery electric vehicles emit zero emissions or dangerous gases caused by traditional combustion engines. There are three different levels of chargers for these cars, level 1, level 2, and level 3. Level 1 is a standard 120V outlet, where people usually set it up in their home for an overnight charge that lasts about eight hours. Level 2 is 240V and will take around four hours to charge. And finally Level 3, currently the fastest charging on the electric vehicle market. Known as rapid chargers, they take thirty minutes to an hour to fully charge. Comment: Some examples of battery electric vehicles are Tesla, Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf and many others. Next up is Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). Evidence and Citations: Plug-in hybrids are powered by both petrol and diesel and have an electric motor powered by a battery that can be recharged by plugging them in. Comment: Some plug-in hybrids are cars like the Chevy volt and Toyota Prius. Plug-in hybrid cars are simple: you can travel long distances using just the battery. Once the battery runs out, the conventional engine turns on and the car now runs on gas or diesel depending on the car. Finally there is the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). Evidence and Citations: Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by both electricity and gasoline. Hybrid electric vehicles use something called "regenerative braking," a process in which the electric motor helps slow the vehicle and uses some of the energy normally converted to heat by the brakes. “How Internal Combustion Engines WorkTopic sentence: Internal combustion engines are what most cars have, they are our gas or diesel vehicles on the roads. Evidence and quotes: “Internal combustion engines offer drivability and durability exceptional, with more than 250 million highway transportation vehicles in the United States relying on them." The way they work is simple: Internal combustion engines use the basic chemical process to release energy from a fuel mixture and air. In an internal combustion engine (ICE), the ignition and combustion of the fuel occurs within the engine itself. The combustion itself within the cylinders is what then turns the engine combustion pushes the piston down, turning the camshaft and then, in turn, turning the transmission gears and thus turning the wheels of your car Evidence and quotes: There are currently two types of engines in production a internal combustion: the spark ignition petrol engine and the compression ignition diesel engine. Comment: The Spark Ignition petrol engine introduces petrol and air as a mixture into the cylinder. The air enters through the intake systemof air and petrol enters with the help of the fuel pump and injectors. The air and fuel mixture in the cylinder is then compressed by the piston and then ignited/ignited by the spark plugs causing combustion. The combustion then, in turn, due to the combustion, causes the piston to be pushed downwards causing the crankshaft to turn. “In a diesel engine, only air is drawn into the engine and then compressed. Diesel engines then spray the fuel into the hot compressed air at an appropriate, measured rate, causing it to ignite. I can't find a good solution. Topic Sentence:Electric cars were first introduced to help our environment and everyone loved it at first. Zero emissions and you will never have to fill up, sign me up! Everyone was buying electric vehicles and stopped buying internal combustion vehicles. Evidence and Citations: Electric cars have some disadvantages, including: Electric cars rely on electricity, which is mostly generated by fossil energy, which can also generate pollution, or nuclear energy. No one ever talked or mentioned where the electricity used to charge electric vehicles came from. Depending on where you live, it may be different, but here in Utah it's about power plants, power plants have been a big concern for Utah residents. Due to power plants cleaning up their electrical grid and now moving toward clean, renewable energy, power plants are no longer a major source of greenhouse gas pollution in the United States. Today the main source of greenhouse gases are cars, trucks, trains, planes and boats. As you can see in the image above, vehicle exhaust accounts for 78.69% of air pollution here in the state of Utah. Big difference compared to the remaining 13% coming from refineries and large industrial plants. Evidence and quotes: On average the cost of owning an electric vehicle is half the price of a regular internal combustion engine, although it will cost more up front. Comment: At Weber State we have the Tesla Model S as a research vehicle. I interviewed one of my professors Blair Newborn, who currently watches Tesla more than anyone. I asked him what he thinks is most economical to drive on a daily basis and Blair's response was: “if you convert Watt-hours per mile to MPGe, most electric vehicles like the Tesla Model S can average 107-115 MPGe. Electric vehicles have fewer moving parts and require much less routine maintenance. Ride quality is comparable if not better than comparable gas vehicles. Tesla vehicles have a very low center of gravity because the battery and traction motors are very close to the ground. We've all relied on them to get from point A to point B, companies use them to power large semi-trailers to deliver their products. Internal combustion engines are what we all love and without them our lives would be a disaster, having to walk or cycle everywhere. Topic Sentence: Lately everyone has been targeting internal combustion engines because of all the exhaust fumes like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) they release. Internal combustion engines have improved dramatically over the past thirty years. Evidence and Citations: Manufacturers have reduced internal combustion engine emissions of essential pollutants such as NOx and PM by more than 99% to comply with EPA emissions standards. Although internal combustion engines have improved significantly, they are still not as efficient as electric vehicles. Blair Newborn said: “If you take our Model S and compare itwith a gas sedan of the same size, the gas sedan will pollute 10 times more over the life of the vehicle. Furthermore, electric vehicles emit zero exhaust emissions. From an air quality perspective and an overall environmental perspective, electric vehicles are much better than gas-powered vehicles. "Conclusion Now that you've read this, what will you think when you see an electric car? “Zero Emissions” or “it's still bad for our environment because of power plants.” Concluding paragraph: Regardless of what you think now, we've come to the conclusion that, although electric vehicles, are technically not zero emissions due to power plants. It is still much better than your average vehicle. Electric vehicles are simple: they have a battery that is usually located low and under the car to have a low center of gravity. That battery which in turn is used to power the electric motor that is used to turn the wheels. These cars are great if your goal is to drive them daily or even race 100 miles per charge, depending on which model you have. And that's far more than the average American needs, who typically travels about 29.2 miles a day. If you have electricity at home, you can charge it overnight and be ready to drive again the next morning. Electric cars in Tesla specification, with 0-60 mph in just 2.4 seconds in the Tesla Model S Performance. Electric cars will be the future of racing, without having to worry about traction or waiting for your average car's revs to increase. Computers can think and react much faster than us, when you put it in an internal combustion engine car you either have too much power and end up spinning the wheels, or you have to wait for your revs to go higher to go more fast. Electric cars have no revs, they are on or off. Instant torque and instant traction control. Internal combustion engines are what we all know and grew up with. Even if they can't keep up with the emissions of electric cars, they will still be widely used in the coming years. Diesel engines are what all semi-trucks use to haul items across the country because of their horsepower. Unlike electric cars that take 30 minutes to 8 hours to recharge, diesel and gas powered vehicles only take a few minutes to fill the tank and we're back on the road. Useful for people who travel a lot or have to carry heavy objects. Electric vehicles certainly have a long way to go to match some of the performance of internal combustion engines. Electric vehicles continue to improve and become easier to use for all types of driving. And finally they are better than our internal combustion engines. As long as we keep power plants clean and use wind and solar energy, we will do better for our mother nature. As Blair said, “I feel like the popularity of electric vehicles will continue to increase and sales of electric vehicles in the United States will continue to increase.” Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Tips If if money goes to electricity, it is ten times better for our environment. They are expensive up front, but in the long run they are cheaper to own and are better for the environment than an internal combustion engine. Invest in a home charging station where you can charge overnight and you'll be ready for your daily commute. And finally below is the chart I found from the US Department of Energy. As you can.