Fossil Fuel Vehicles Will Last Term Paper

The currently used batteries in electric cars are usually the lead-acid type, which are heavy and bulky. A lead-acid battery pack in a typical electric car weighs about 1000 pounds or more; it also occupies a large space as about 50 batteries each of size 6" x 8" x 6" are required for a single car (Brain, 2006). They are also expensive as a typical lead-acid battery pack for an electric car costs about $2,000. Moreover, batteries get discharged quickly and give only about a 50-mile range to a car, after which the battery-pack has to be re-charged. The re-charging process is also time-consuming and it takes between 4 to 10 hours for full charge, depending on the battery technology and the charger (Ibid). Such batteries also have a relatively short life and have to be replaced in about three to four years.

Recent development in battery technology has now made it possible to use batteries such as the NiMH type in electric cars. These batteries give a greater (about double) range to the car and also have a life of about 10 years.They are, however, much more expensive as an NiMH battery pack for an electric car costs about $20,000 to $30,000 (Ibid.) in addition to these issues, the disposal and re-cycling problem of batteries make the electric cars not as environmental friendly as they may seem on first sight. On the other hand, the convenience and cost-effective performance of gasoline-powered vehicles are well established.

In conclusion, it can be safely said that the problem of battery-size, high cost, and recharging issues make electric cars unviable alternatives to fossil fuel vehicles in the foreseeable future. As a result, the fossil fuel vehicles are going to last a lot longer than is often predicted.

References

Brian, M. (2006). "How Electric Cars Work." How Stuff Works. Retrieved on October 4, 2006 at http://auto.howstuffworks.com/electric-car1.htm

Maugeri, L. (2006). "That Falling Feeling." Newsweek International. October 9, 2006 Issue. Retrieved on October 4, 2006 at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15081350/site/newsweek/

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