In this new age, electricity is the way for everything. What started with lights has now taken over one of humans’ most important inventions: cars. Electric Vehicles, or EVs, have taken over the market. Is this a good thing, or is it a crisis? For over a hundred years, combustion engines primarily powered vehicles. Almost every major car company has some EV, and some are even solely making EVs.
Tesla, an American-based EV company, started its journey in 2008 with the roadster. Built off the Lotus Elise chassis, the roadster had 248 HP. Tesla has become the world’s largest EV company, with 1.81 million sales in 2023.
“I didn’t know I would like it until I got it. My wife and I had a 4x Jeep, so we knew a little about what to expect. My goal was to buy it, and if I didn’t, I would sell it,” John Hatcher said.
Many people do not like EVs’ innovations. Die-hard Combustion engine fans will say that they are unreliable and unsafe. While EVs have their issues, so do combustion engines.
Pros and cons of EVs.
Pros: less gas consumption
Advanced electronics
Cost-effective
Cons: More dangerous in crashes
In the end, similar greenhouse gases
Slow to refill on mileage
Pros and cons of Combustion Engines
Pros: fast refueling
More reliable
Easier to find quality repairs
Cons: very messy at times
More upkeep
Cost of fuel
Both have advantages and disadvantages, but EVs have started to grow fast due to the introduction of hybrid cars, a mixture of gas and electric cars. Hybrid cars created a nice transition or middle ground for traditional gas car users.
“I understand why people will buy EVs, but I don’t like them because they are super hard to work on,” Jon Evans said, “I think that the people who buy EVs will never work on them and just throw money at it.”
Going deeper into some of the advantages that EVs have. EVs are cheaper because if used for daily driving around town, there will likely be no need for away-from-home charging. In addition to highly advanced electronics, almost every car feature can be changed using a built-in computer.
Though EVs initially produce less greenhouse gases than a regular gas car, the amount of greenhouse gases produced to create the energy needed to power them is not much different.
Compared to gas cars, EVs have much more impressive statistics, such as their ability to accelerate much faster and generally higher top speeds. The Tesla Model S Plaid has over 1,000 HP for as little as $89,000, compared to an Aston Martin Valkyrie, which has a similar HP and costs up to $4,000,000.
And those numbers even act differently. At its peak, the Valkyrie will make over 1,000 HP. Combustion engines take time to rev up and generate all this power, while in an EV, the power hits all at once. It can go from 0 to 1,000 HP in less than the blink of an eye.
“I like how fast it is. The power is unique; there is no separation of power. It all hits you simultaneously,” Hatcher said.
Overall, EVs are generally better, but why do many people dislike them and will never buy one? The people who will never buy one have good reasons for it. EVs will never sound the same, and they will lose the love of working on engines and the fun they can have by modifying the cars.
