Are electric vehicles the answer to urban pollution and society's dependence on oil? At this point, although electric cars show a lot of potential, there are some engineering challenges that must be overcome before they become as common as vehicles running on gasoline. From decades-old efforts to create cars with reasonable driving ranges to the problem of deploying a new infrastructure to support the technology, there are still obstacles to overcome.
Environmental Benefits
Many people are drawn to the idea of electric cars because of the vehicle's lack of dangerous tailpipe emissions. To be fair, these cars are not necessarily emissions-free because the plants providing the electricity to charge their batteries may create pollution. However, as utility companies convert to more earth-friendly energy generation such as solar or wind, these emissions will drop. Electric vehicles reduce dependence on dwindling petroleum reserves and can effectively turn any energy generating technology into automotive power.
Driving Range
One of the largest factors holding back electric cars is their limited driving range. New models on the horizon tout reasonable commuting ranges, such as the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, which is supposed to get 40 miles on a single charge. However Popular Mechanics points out theses are under ideal driving conditions. At highway speeds, in cold weather or when using power-hungry accessories such as air conditioners, this range drops to a fraction of this number.
Recharge Rates
Most commuters will have to recharge their batteries every day and, according to fueleconomy.gov, the recharge time can take as long as eight hours. Even a quick-charging vehicle will take 30 minutes or more. This almost certainly means owners will have to charge their cars overnight. However Popular Mechanics notes in a University of California at Davis study, early users of electric cars were far more likely to charge their cars during the day.
Infrastructure
Consumers may not want to be tied to home recharging, so that means there will need to be a network of charging stations throughout any city that wants to support electric cars. One idea is to swap out a new, charged battery rather than taking the time to recharge the vehicle. This may help drivers get back on the road quickly, but the swapping stations still need to recharge the empty batteries for the next user. These stations will put significant demands on the electrical grid, as Popular Mechanics notes a single five-hour battery charge is roughly equal an average home's daily electrical consumption.
Solar Cars
Right now, solar cars are in the concept stage with no consumer models planned. They have limited capability because of the difficulty of generating enough energy to power a car using the limited space on a car's roof. One possible future role of solar cars is for the solar panels to extend a battery's range by adding power, but these cars may still be dependent on plug-in recharging stations.
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