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Not many are aware that when the world's first car was curated in the early 18th century, both electric and fuel power versions existed. The onset of Tesla in recent times, makes it look like electric cars are a relatively newer notion. This isn't it all! It is an interesting question then, as to why did fuel cars take the form and started commanding the popularity that they do today. When both options available, there must have been some decider for business and research persons to invest in this one direction.
The era when this choice was to be made was one in which electricity wasn't readily available. Batteries that could be recharged and reused couldn't be easily created in this period. Using other forms of nonrenewable fuel was much easier, since this was easily available in the day to day life. Thus, the development of cars and their business model shaped in a form where the fuel version was worked on for several decades and hence it stands to be what it does today. When the only reason for rejecting the idea of electric cars was the lack of ready electricity, there is no reason why the idea shouldn't be brought into the picture again, once that issue has been resolved. When these two models were compared back in the day, the electric car model was more efficient and less toxic; yet the fuel version was preferred as it was the more viable choice. Even if they manage to generate electricity on that scale, to support a car it would not have been economically viable either for the users or the car manufacturing brands. However, now that we live in a time where electricity is easily available and affordable, there is no reason as to why we shouldn't chase that efficiency in a better model.
There are innumerable reasons as to why electric cars are a better choice in the modern era:
An electric vehicle will render less cost in most aspects. This is obvious since the bulk of the cost associated with maintaining a vehicle is of the fuel, petrol or diesel that is well prized due to its limited existence. The price of these fuels is only likely to rise in the future when the existing reserve gets depleted further. Electricity, on the other hand, can be created with renewable sources like wind energy, solar energy and hydraulic power. This will not only be a lot cheaper but the cost is likely to decrease as we learn how to extract these natural sources of energies more efficiently. Thus, electric cars seem to be a promising cost-effective option.
Other than fuel costs, there are other costs of maintaining any vehicle. When it comes to the conventional fuel cars, the maintenance is primarily associated with engine maintenance such as oiling, changing the coolant and transmission fluids, etc. In case of an electric vehicle, there is no internal combustion engine; thus, such maintenance costs can be completely avoided. Therefore, a future with electric cars can be easily maintained.
While conventional fuel cars have an efficiency rate of about 15 %, electric cars are about 60% efficient in power utilization. Naturally, more advanced features of automation requiring higher power will be better equipped in an electric vehicle. Thus, more value can be obtained for the same amount of investment.
It is a no-brainer that numerous renewable sources of energy can be used as the primary source for the generation of electricity. Thus, with adequate work and research electric vehicles can prove to be extremely environment-friendly. Since there is no internal combustion in this case, no toxic fumes will be released into the environment. In the larger picture, the use of the electric car in the present generation is the only real solution to a bulk of our environmental problems.
The great thinker and revolutionary, Elon Musk, could foresee what electrical vehicles had in store for us. His idea circulated around the fact, that the only way electrical transportation could be popularised would be by introducing it into a market which would then be forced to carry out adequate research to keep their place in the game. If one electrical vehicle was brought out into the picture and was appreciated, that would create a demand in the market and then people would start investing in research. This is why he created Tesla, to take the first step towards change. His business model aims towards attracting the richer customer base to accumulate wealth which can then be used to make affordable vehicles for the general masses.
India has been a leading manufacturer and consumer of numerous services in the technological domain. It not only has the sources of energy to be able to generate adequate power but is also equipped with thousands of technical brains that can be invested for new research in the department of electrical transportation. Therefore, electric cars would be an economically and environmentally profitable prospect for the future of the country.
Nikhil Chandwani is an author of 13 books, CEO and Founder of Writers' Rescue Centre and a TED(x) Speaker.
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