Hybrid and Electric Cars Analysis Essay Example

How the Concept of Hybrid Vehicles Influences the Environment and Continuous Development in Future?

Hybrid and electric cars deal with both technologies that involve conventional gasoline engine and electric motors powered with the help of batteries available in cars for obtaining maximum power. Such cars are capable of achieving fuel economy with low emission. One of these two main sources acts as backup under different circumstances such as charging battery while hybrid cars travel down the hill. Many of the hybrid cars have a function of charging batteries by regenerating energy while using brake system.

Hybrid cars can automatically switch between batteries and gasoline whenever necessary in certain situations. The petrol engine and electric motor of hybrid cars run simultaneously and at maximum input at the same time when it travels up to the hill. Therefore, no battery charge occurs in this situation. Moreover, hybrid cars optimize fuel efficiency by using both gasoline engine and electric motor when traveling at normal rate.

Nowadays, people are more worried about the issues of environmental pollution. Hybrid and electric cars considered environmental friendly vehicles since they are able to minimize the fuel emissions releasing to the air as well as using batteries to operate them without fuel consumption. On the other hand, hybrid cars are capable of producing less pollution and greenhouse gases. They can also increase mileage with engine that uses gas with electric motor reducing gas consumption and balancing each other (Motavalli).

Development of hybrid cars is growing continuously every day. Alternative fuels to hybrid cars play vital role in reducing pollution. People cannot imagine what might happen if in the nearest future one cannot develop the alternatives methods of transportation. A country that is under economic pressure and where there is no perspective for the low prices of gasoline, hybrid vehicles can help in reducing emissions and dependence on foreign oil. Lithium-ion batteries coupling with increased oil prices have electrified transportation and moved customers to fuel-efficient vehicles.

History of Hybrid Vehicles

Many people believe that the hybrid vehicles are recent development. However, the fact is that the concept of hybrid cars is older than they believe. The history of hybrid vehicles started in 1665 (Sclar). In 1672, two scientists, named Flemish Jesuit and Verbiest, began to plan the creation of a steam car (Now). Afterwards, another scientist, named Nicholas Cugnot, made a motor carriage that was steam-powered and could run up to five miles per hour. In 1839, Robert Anderson built the first electric vehicle (Anderson).

Research on hybrid vehicles started almost three hundred years ago. General Motors made a great contribution to the development of hybrid history. They comprised electric truck required for military application and had first electric fuel cell vehicle.

Global warming and increased pollution problems

Scientists have conducted extensive research on global warming that varied from one scientific group to other greatly. According to one group, it is really happening whereas the other group states that the theory of global warming is not supported by sufficient evidences. Due to the growing discussion of global warming as well as its various effects on the earth and its surroundings, the majority of people do realize that regardless of the source of the pollution, such as cars, factories, or any business establishment releasing smoke, it is always dangerous. It is an undoubtable fact that hybrid cars are one of the possibilities to reduce pollution by creating alternative engine designs, fuels, etc.

The increase in traveling has a global impact on the certain aspects. Considering the fact that the demand for oil constantly grows, increased emissions have an effect on different elements of everyday life. However, over the past few years much advancement has been made to reduce emissions from the vehicles. New fuels have been developed and tried in an effort of finding more effective solutions to crude oil or gasoline. European transport is expected to increase to a great extent in both road and air transportation. In order to reduce emissions from vehicles, some standards, such as Euro 3, Euro 4, and Euro 5, have been introduced for protecting environment in Europe (Grozev).

Several fuels are capable of being considered as the next gasoline. Fuels such as ethanol, methanol, hydrogen and some other low level fuels have not been recognized. New fuels, such as like ethanol, help to reduce dependency on foreign oil as well achieve an advantage of lower emissions.

Problems with Hybrid and Electric Cars

Hybrid cars and alternative fuels face two main problems. Firstly, they form various marketplace disadvantages as compared to those of conventional vehicles that run on conventional fuels. Therefore, they may need some mandates or few government incentives to achieve progress. Secondly, they do not find cost-effective solutions to large environmental and energy problems. It destabilizes the policy case and allows the government to intervene in the marketplace for supporting them.

The path for hybrid and alternative vehicles is rather difficult to cover when these two major problems to hybrid cause arise. Considering these problems, it is not an easy way of developing hybrid vehicles and alternative fuels as well as to keep them in corresponding condition.

Hybrid Cars and Alternative Fuels

Ethanol is one of the alternative fuels in the forefront of the race and strongest possibility of becoming the next effective solution to gasoline. It has been claimed effective and rather beneficial since it has been used. However, manufacturing ethanol requires more nonrenewable energy unlike that provided by the resulting fuel. Finally, it is considered as expensive to be used due to its higher cost of production and transporting. Biodiesel is another alternative fuel source being tested and improved. It can be made from the used oil obtained from fryers at home. A negative aspect of biodiesel is that it does not contain octane, which comes with regular diesel. In cold climates, it usually does not function properly, as regular diesel.

Hydrogen has a potential to act as one of the greatest alternative fuel and reducing environmental impacts. Development of hydrogen, however, faces certain problems. It is extremely expensive and not fully developed. It could be a zero emission fuel inevitably following large decrease in emissions in the nearest future if the significant number of people starts using hydrogen fuel vehicles.

Hybrid and electric cars are the next possible and viable solution as an alternative fuel. However, it is not essentially a fuel, but still it is an alternative mode of transportation. Electric vehicles (EV’s) have numerous benefits, such as absence of emissions and being quiet. Both of these qualities are favorable for the city living. According to some experts, electric vehicles are an integral part of decreasing pollution that is quite possible with proper engineering. The most feasible hybrid car in the near future is an electric vehicle with reduced emissions and decreased consumption of fuel.

Hybrid and Electric Cars in Marketplace

It is an undoubtable fact that hybrid and electric cars have strong position on the market. In fact, electric vehicles would be seen more often in the near future, especially in those cities where people do not require going to great distances for accomplishing everyday tasks. Most probably, with new advantages and advancements in electric technology, businesses that run under outdoor transportation would move towards electric cars instead of the traditional four wheeler vehicles. It is surely possible that electric vehicles will be used across the world with electric as an alternative fuel.

Electric is a big contributor and best chance of acting as the next gasoline. However, it is not a permanent option of gasoline. New fuels and catalysts are not trying to factor out gasoline. One can use gasoline always for some useful applications. Actually, these new fuels intend to provide reducing dependency on foreign oil to some extent as well as reducing pollution and decreasing gasoline prices at same time.

The market demand for hybrid cars is growing strongly and people are more willing to buy them. Automobile industries are developing different types of petrol for efficient and environmental friendly cars. The importance of hybrid cars is increasing for the environmental sustainability. However, in some countries people are not much aware of the green house effect and climate changes. Therefore, hybrid vehicles cannot attract the attention of its customers and high the market demand.

Future of Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars play vital role in all aspects of a green future. The benefits of clean air, reduced dependency on foreign oil, better gas mileage, and few emissions would have been all in danger if hybrid vehicles had never developed. It is difficult to the importance of hybrid and electric cars in the near future. They are the integral key to a clean environment.

Considering the development of technology and few available oil resources in the future, hybrid and electric cars will become the main product of future’s automobile industry. Consequently, the hybrid market will increase and grow rapidly in the future. Moreover, it is possible that the new rivals will enter into the hybrid market after seeing its great potential and progress. The hybrid cars are in accordance to the direction of auto development in the future that help the major hybrid cars manufacturers, such as Toyota, to focus only on the traditional fuel vehicles (Tollefson).

However, hybrid cars are relatively an emerging area that requires great investment in battery technology. In recent years, due to more advancement in the environmental protection as well as frequently occurring fluctuations in gas prices, many customers started to choose hybrid cars. It will require much time until hybrid cars industry starts growing and making progress rapidly.

Main Hybrid Cars

Toyota hybrid cars take the leader position of sales and technology. The first hybrid car in the world was launched by Toyota. The company sales are higher than those of the other competitors. Despite the anti-lock braking system problems that Toyota hybrid cars faced, the company has developed more than 500,000 hybrid cars in major markets of California and Japan.

Making the Prius is an extremely great step of Toyota. The Prius is a kind of hybrid car running on both internal combustion and electric engines. It can reach more than 40 miles per gallon. When gasoline engine turns on, it starts running on alternator that charges the battery. Hence, the battery of the Prius never runs dead. Other important hybrid cars, such as Chevrolet and Ford, marked the hybrid economy. None of the companies, including Ford with Escape as well as the new hybrid Yukon with Chevrolet, could make such an impact on their customers as Toyota did (Peters).

Clean air, saving money on gas, reduced dependency on foreign oil, and fewer emissions are the reasons for which the hybrid cars are widely purchased. These results are promising and show great hope for the future of hybrid and electric cars. Hybrid vehicles are the most important components to reduce pollution across the world and to mark an end on the vicious cycle started years ago. New prototypes are being researched, worked, and developed daily.

Today, hybrid and electric cars do not have enough demand and fame that is needed. If the pollution in the world continues at the current rate, then the implications will get serious. Everyone is responsible for putting more effort in making this world a better place for living. Since hybrid cars are considered greatly important, it is not the only aim to be achieved. If someone does not feel comfortable while driving a hybrid vehicle, there are other opportunities available to help in protecting clean environment. Research concludes that hybrid and electric cars are important part of creating a clean and greener environment. With increasing rate of pollution as well as without hybrid and electric cars, there is possibility that many countries can face a crash course of disaster.