Modern Day and the Outweighing

Advantages of Electric Vehicles

The end of 2019 has come, and modern-day New York is constantly evolving to become bigger and bigger as a City which is known to never sleep. With a big portion of the sparkling lights coming from the skyscrapers at night, most of the lights come from the thousands upon thousands of cars being driven 24/7. While change and evolution is normal in human civilization, the one change that is not being done amongst us all is the switch to electric vehicles (EV). Having my father’s old minivan as the only car available as soon as I got my driver’s license, I soon realized over the summer how expensive and stressful it is to have a gas-powered car/EV. From this moment, I questioned myself to what it is about gas powered cars that are more satisfying than electric vehicles and I remain in confusion. With New York City experiencing all kinds of major climate changes during the winter and summer, we citizens fail to realize that the main activity we are doing daily and creating this dilemma is driving gas powered cars. Authors, local mechanics, CEO’s of big companies, and tech analysts have all been selected to be a part of this inquiry-based research on “Why have people not switched over to electric vehicles yet”?

Eric Schmidt speaks in his article all about the overpowering benefits of driving and owning an electric powered vehicle. Many people are uneducated about these benefits and luxuries that the people of today are missing out on by driving their gas-powered cars. He wrote this article in 2017 to inspire and change people’s perceptions of how “EV are rare, expensive, and not easy to navigate”, said by the people. However, Schmidt negated all those common misconceptions by using facts and relatable examples from other car brands that are seen to be more commonly driven around the city of New York. His article “Top 12 Reasons Why Electric Cars are Better Than Gas Cars” introduces and dives into the positive facts of the following matters: cost gap, gas emissions, the beginning to the future’s way of getting to your destination, the practicality of being at home, car maintenance, the passing of the safety test for that of a gas powered vehicle regards to EV also, difference in good vs bad maintenance, the noise difference, speed, driving range, and the company’s’ , state’s, and city’s positive financial incentives in buying an electric powered car.

The author ascribes this article to the thousands around the city who are still driving a gas – powered vehicle. Schmidt’s target is to pin point these types of drivers to inform and inspire them that EV is the better way and that is how it will be soon (the future of driving). So, if they all know that it is a part of the up coming future of innovative technologies, then why not start today while they can and get paid on top of that just for switching over to the electric side? Including myself, I am guilty of being a part of driving a gas-powered car. Speaking from my own experience in the recent summer that I got my driver’s license, there is a lot of money, problems, and hazards that are associated with the many responsibilities in owning a regular car. While the car itself was super cheap to buy in 2008 for only $4,000, the maintenance cost over the past 11 years came out to just about double or even more than the price we bought it for. Not only is this vehicle costly to maintain, but it is quite the old car and lacks the modern-day safety features, like automatic braking when too close to another object ahead of you, or simply warning the driver when you are too closing in on another lane without signaling to do so. So, even with the lack of all these innovative safety features installed into modern day cars, people with regular cars tend to have to be more aware. From speaking to other family members who drive to work, 90% of car accidents that occur are caused by the lack of knowing or being able to see another vehicle close by.

Further on in researching, it was found that ConEdison – the company that manages all the electricity – has made a side to side comparison table. This table puts an electric car on one side and a gas-powered vehicle on the opposite side, comparing the two based on fuel, affordability, reliability, and many more factors that show which car is more efficient.  Coned compares the 2019 Lexus IS 300 (gas) and the 2019 Tesla Model 3(electric). The Lexus is $8,136.00 more expensive to buy already. Next, the fuel cost for the time span of 5 years is shown for the Lexus to be almost DOUBLE the cost compared to the Tesla. On top of the savings one would receive by getting a Tesla, one will also receive $250 reward from ConEdison, $500 every year from Smart Charge NY, and up to almost $4,000 in state and federal tax rebate/credit. So, with all these rebates and rewards that the company and the state of New York is giving someone, that owner essentially must pay nothing for charging their vehicle and they will have a remaining sum of money left to spend on anything they please. In addition to all these savings, the electric Tesla Model 3 has 30 more horsepower than the Lexus. So, that is a complete win-win in anyone’s book. Save money and get more for what you pay for. Lastly, by using the Enervee Scoring System, which is out of 100 and is used to compare a home or other product to its highest efficiency rating possible after some usage and testing. Based on ConEdison website, the Lexus in this case receives an Enervee score of 55 while the Tesla received a score of remarkable 97! This difference clearly shows the gap in efficiency that the Lexus lacks as a gas-powered vehicle.

Continuing with another article “Why Haven’t We All Switched to Electric Cars Yet”? by Harmon Leon, he speaks about the negating factors to which the people of today take for granted. Leon emphasizes the truth of today’s society going bad. While the community has been continually declining, humans have nothing else but quick fixes to solve the large issue at hand and go on with their lives until another major catastrophe occurs.  Leon speaks of the first ever successfully built electric car made by William Morrison in 1889. With enhancements made by Thomas Edison of a new battery, it was still a reality at the time for gas to be cheaper. However, this is just a reverse reality from centuries ago. Going back to about a little less than two decades ago, EV were known to only be usable and most reliable in the city because of the long charging hours needed at home with a 110-volt outlet. “But when touring America in a gas car, you don’t have to worry about finding a gas station or pre-planning where you can stop to fill up. It’s a given that there will be service station” says Leon. This is still true for some traditional minded people of today who still prefer to use their flip phone to simply call and receive calls from other people in the world. Switching to electric is basically switching to a whole other lifestyle of driving and many are unprepared to make that change in their life die to their comfortable standing point in owning a gas-powered vehicle. That’s basically what Leon is reinstating throughout his article. Because of people having a closed-minded mentality, they prefer their traditional ways of living over the new and innovative methods like going electric and switching to a smartphone and continuously being connected with the world. Leon also goes on with “Apps, such as ChargePoint and Plug Share, can provide the skinny on charging spots” and this proves the researcher’s point of changing one’s whole lifestyle because in order to drive an EV, one must have the compatible apps for the car and its necessities like charging point locators. The average car emits around 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, says Leon. This number is quite significant and is clearly a major contribution to global warming.

Then, there is Doug DeMuro who writes the article “Long-Term Electric Vehicle Ownership: Pros and Cons”. Doug DeMuro is an auto enthusiast and speaks the facts regarding the choice of electric to gas. Weighing out the pros and cons for choosing an EV, he dives right in with the pros. The main pro in the long run for owning an EV is the savings in gas. There is a tremendous amount of money that people will save after switching over to electric. After some years of fluctuating gas prices, it is still evident that the price to pay for charging never significantly risen nor dropped. For example: back in 2013-2014, the availability of gas in New York became extremely scarce. I remember my teachers coming into a 7 am class to teach us with already having drank 3-4 cups of coffee due to the insane reach they had to do in order to have gas for the next couple of days to get to work and back home. People at that time woke up as early as 4 am and already seen a line outside the gas station. A line filled with cars desperate for gas with extra portable tanks in hand for the upcoming days. So, the people who had EV at times like that, received their full night’s sleep and came charged up from home. DeMuro speaks about the main part of cost cutting by having an EV: less frequent maintenance visits. Unlike a regular car, an EV does not consist of the thousands of little parts that needs to be checked every few thousand miles and need to ever be replaced. Because In EV, there is NONE of that. No filters, liquids, belts, mounts, etc. However, throughout all this light, there is one dark side to owning an EV. Which is the replacement of their batteries. Depending on the make and model, batteries cost up to $5,000 to replace. Using the example DeMuro gives with the Chevrolet Volt, the warranty on that lasts for up to 8 years or 100k miles driven. After that time has passed, it is upon the owner’s cost and intentions to replace those batteries. While they do cost a pretty penny, it is only necessary to swap out after about the warranty estimate (8 years), so the owner also has many options to possibly trade in or sell the vehicle for a newer model with a better performing battery after 8 years of innovations have passed by. In addition, DeMuro continuous with one last con about EV: collision repair has a chance to get excessive. EV’s are designed with fragile battery packs located in different parts of the car, and depending on the location of the hit, it is possible that the battery may have to be replaced in that area for the car to function properly.

Continuing with Doug DeMuro, he is also a YouTuber who does in-depth reviews of many of the amazing, fascinating cars of both the old days and the modern-day vehicles. As a car enthusiast, I can watch his long reviews without complaint or distraction because it is quite difficult to find some of the holy grails, he gets to review on his channel sometimes. The focus of his channel on YouTube focuses on the exotic cars around the world, of the never seen, the ordinary, and the extraordinary one’s that you will only see go up into the Hamptons.

Another YouTuber named MKBHD creates tech videos and in most of them, he mentions his tesla and was even able to meet CEO of Tesla: Elon Musk and make a few videos with him. In the first video, he goes on with the driving experience and feel of the newly introduced Tesla Model 3 of 2019. It is quite the most efficient car from Tesla because of the weight reduction and size reduction of the overall vehicle itself. Less weight, more power, better efficiency via battery. This youtuber, Marquees Brownlee goes on to mention the undiscovered perks of owning a model 3. One of them being regenerative breaking. With this kind of brake, power is restored back to the battery pack in the car when the gas is released, and the brakes are applied. In his video, he declined down from a winding 6-mile hill and generated an additional 6 miles of range. Prior to coming down the hill, the range displayed 233 miles and after, it displayed 238 miles. He continues and speaks all about the innovative features and details previously mentioned above by Leon, Schmidt, and ConEdison. In his sit down with Elon Musk, Brownlee was able to figure out Musk’s daily duties and the functionality of each helping hand in the factory. With Musk starting this business by himself, he feels as of one of the largest influencing entrepreneurs in the auto industry. Explaining each function, Brownlee was finally able to hold a strong grasp of the given situation and comprehend the need for a supply and demand work method. Musk elaborates in the sit down that producing almost 30,000 cars per week is not something to take lightly and they must know which 30,000 reserved it for that week to purchase through their website.

Lastly, in my interview with my neighbor who is a mechanic, I was able to learn a lot as to why he is a mechanic and as to why he prefers gas powered vehicles based on the financial and economic situation he is currently in. Driving an old Honda Civic with over 250k miles ran, this mechanic keeps his vehicle in top notch shape. I went to him for help regarding my minivan’s need for the change of brakes and from there, we went on about the personal pros and cons in owning an EV. People like him don’t appreciate the quiet ride an EV has to offer. He likes hearing the loud engine and exhaust. He is not in the best of financial standings to own an EV living in the Bronx. He says there’s enough crazy animals that will destroy the undercarriage of your car and a plentiful number of irresponsible drivers who hit and run. Unlike gas, electric components are much more costly and time consuming. He on the flip side doesn’t have time for that kind of delays during his day and would much rather put a couple dollars for gas in his tank to run him some miles to get him home.

All in all, EV are and will be the future. It cannot be stopped. Evolution of the auto industry is inevitable and financial problems is only the start to not accepting an EV. As for now in 2019, gas vehicles will continuously be driven on the streets to meet the needs of the people. Small enhancements are already being made to help the economy and aid the global warming rate.

Work Cited

1. Schmidt, Eric. “Top 12 Reasons Why Electric Cars Are Better Than Gas Cars.” Fleet Carma, 8 May 2019, https://www.fleetcarma.com/why-electric-cars-are-better-than-gas-top/.
2. “How Much Can You Save With Your Next Car?” Con Edison Cars, https://cars.coned.com/?utm_source=marketplace&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=enervee_crosspromo.
3. Leon, Harmon. “Why Haven’t We All Switched to Electric Cars Yet?” Observer, Observer, 30 Sept. 2019, https://observer.com/2019/09/electric-cars-climate-change-hurdles/.
4. DeMuro, Doug. “Long-Term Electric Vehicle Ownership: Pros and Cons.” Autotrader, Feb. 2014, https://www.autotrader.com/car-tips/long-term-electric-vehicle-ownership-pros-and-cons-220975.
5. YouTube, YouTube, 30 Jan. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O5PhuW927w.
6. YouTube, YouTube, 17 Aug. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MevKTPN4ozw&t=352s.
7. Interview with Anonymous mechanic

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