Research Paper on The Electric Car

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Here is a sample of a custom research paper on two movies. It deals specifically with an electric car an if the electric car is coming back. We at Assignment Writing Service offer  all type of custom writing services for your help. Professional writers, cheap prices and confidentiality guarantee.

Introduction

In the 90s, California Air Resources Board (CARB) passed the landmark the Zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate that required car companies to offer electric vehicles to their customers. The companies complied with the order and created more than 5000 electric vehicles. However, the same companies destroyed the cars or donated them to universities for research or display in museums after a decade or so citing lack of market demand. According to the documentary, “who killed the electric car,” the death of the electric car was due to sabotage. The parties involved colluded due to a combination of factors worked in their favor hence crossed ranks to kill the product. They used suits, adverts, lobbying, and similar strategies. Despite what happened, two decades down, electric cars are once again attracting attention and might replace gasoline cars within a decade from now or so.

Who killed the electric car?

The first class of people who were responsible for the death of the electric car is the consumers. In California, the demand for the electric car in the 90s did not seem to exist. The price of fuel was at an all-time low, and most users loved their sports utility vehicles for its luxury and comfort. It was not possible at that time for users to think about the merits of an electric car. Besides, the idea of global warming or pollution was still new. The first climate agreements were signed during that time, and it was against a background of general skepticism. Climate change science appeared shaky then. That skepticism is still evident today, especially among the Republicans. Therefore, selling an electric car on the basis that pollutes less did not make sense. Also, the range problem of electric vehicles was a major issue compared to the gasoline car that gives users the freedom to roam. According to the dealers and people involved in the production and selling of the cars, the demand was not therefore for reasons explained above. However, customers themselves say in the documentary that they were not aware of electric vehicles, suggesting that the industry as a whole did not market the cars in an attempt to undermine the entire project.

The movie talks of the battery. The issue of the battery is a serious problem and is the main bottleneck in the production, and adoption after manufacture of electric, cars. In the 90s, the batteries used were rudimentary in technical sophistication as they were the regular lead acid battery with a range of only 60 miles. The second generation of electric cars produced toward the end of the decade was using nickel-metal or even lithium batteries, which are more powerful with a range of more than 100 miles per charge. However, according to the film, the newly improved batteries did not get the attention they deserved as part of a plan to kill electric cars. According to one engineer, Alan Cocconi, working with lithium ion batteries could have increased the range of electric vehicles to more than 300 miles per charge, making them a superior alternative to the traditional gasoline cars.
Oil companies engaged in cynical marketing of the electric vehicles. Their goal was to kill the car, as it was a threat to their business. These companies used its associations that posed as consumer-based to undermine electric cars via advertising and other forms of subterfuge. Mobil is one of the firms that placed adverts to incite people against electric vehicles. Chevron also bought controlling stakes in one of the companies innovating to produce superior batteries for electric cars. The move killed further innovation in the production of car batteries that would cover perhaps more than a thousand mile per charge. Also, the movie makes reference to the activities of oil companies that kept oil prices low to kill any incentive towards the adoption of electric cars. Such manipulation appeared to have worked because in the 90s people were buying fuel-guzzling sports utility cars as they could afford with the prices of gasoline at an all-time low. Electric cars started to gain attention more than a decade later when oil prices skyrocketed, making it expensive to maintain large vehicles. Smaller and fuel-efficient cars are preferred rather than the large and inefficient vehicles.
Car companies, such as the GM, for instance, ran commercials that highlighted the drawbacks of electric autos with the intention of killing any interest in the cars. The companies also sponsored surveys that showed that the demand for electric cars did not exist. According to the CARB, it removed the mandate based on the strength of such studies, which were apparently misleading.

Electric cars are coming back

After vested interests killed the electric cars in the 90s in the United States, the situation is changing, and electric cars are coming back in a major way. The rebound is mainly due to the economics of the gasoline versus the electric car. The gasoline car has hundreds of moving parts, making maintenance a headache. The electric car, in contrast, has around 20 moving parts, and so maintenance is simple. Tesla gives its buyers an unlimited warranty. If the car malfunctions, Tesla fixes the car free. Gasoline cars require constant maintenance, and automobile companies make trillions in profit via servicing and selling spare parts. Therefore, from the perspective of these companies, gas cars are the better deal.

Another benefit of electric cars is the cost of gas. Before 2014, the price of gas was very high. Consequently, many families in the United States discarded their fuel guzzling cars in preference for fuel-efficient ones. Even now, there is a clear demand for cars such as the electric car that is easier and cheaper to maintain.

The battery technology is improving. Tesla uses lithium-ion batteries, and its cars have a range of more than 300 miles. New developments emerging are making the batteries better. Soon, cars will be able to travel for more than 1000 miles on a single charge.
All the leading carmakers are also developing their electric cars, and soon an electric car will be as cheaper as the ordinary gasoline cars. The charging stations are increasing, and they are free in the majority of cases.
The only disadvantage of an electric car is the range and cost, but with the innovations taking place around battery issue, range anxiety when driving an electric car will end.  The best electric car, perhaps, is Nissan Leaf because it is significantly cheaper than Tesla models. Mass adoption of electric cars will occur only with such models.

Conclusion

Electric cars are now in vogue once more after they were killed in the 90s. With global warming driven by the use of fossil fuel such as gasoline with powers conventional cars, there is a powerful incentive to shift to electric cars. Moreover, customers are looking for cost-effective options to the gas car, and the electric car is the perfect alternative.

Source: Research Paper on The Electric Car