The Quiet Hum of Electric Cars Rises to the Top

By Roel Godinez, Chris Williams, Kristin Brown, and Max Wygal

As of 2010, the estimate of total cars in the world had exceeded one billion. Cars, which

first began to be widely used in the 1920s, are one of the most essential parts of the American

Lifestyle. About 95% of all American households own cars, most of which use them to get to

and work. With such high numbers, concerns are growing over the lasting effects of fossil fuels.

According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), vehicles in general are responsible

for over 55% of all NOx emissions expelled by mankind, these are what cause smog rain.

The solution to this pressing issue: electric vehicles. With the great leaps in science in recent

years, the necessary batteries have become powerful enough to push a 5,000 pound car to 60

mph in 2.5 seconds. Throughout history, the electric car has always been an alternative option to

the standard, but was widely unused because of their inefficiency and high price. During the late

1900’s, the department of energy organized scientists to further develop the technology, but their

efforts went rather unnoticed. Today, electric vehicles are revealing their true potential that will

lead us into the future.

i3 Tech employee Manu Williams says “I’ve seen some of them online and they’re pretty over

the top.”

Electric vehicles are blessed with many benefits that make them invaluable. Not only are they

extremely quiet and efficient, refueling them is incredibly cheap when compared to that of gas
burning cars. They are considerably safer than other vehicles because of how bottom heavy they

are and how they have a tendency to never explode. They are much more easy to operate and

tend to be much quicker. Then there is the most invaluable aspect, zero emissions.

Junior Nathan Hughes says, “I think Teslas are the cars of the future and everyone should have

them.”

However, there are alternative views on this subject. Some issues arise when it comes to the

manufacturing and disposal of the batteries. Cobalt, an essential part of the battery, tends to come

from impoverished parts of the world where working conditions are worse than bad. Once a

battery is no longer used, it’s lithium can contaminate its surroundings, degrading the

environment. Another issue is that if the user is not utilizing an alternative energy source for

their home, than the act of tapping into the general electric supply will mean utilizing a power

plant that may or may not be using fossil fuels.

Some people just mistrust the cars all together. Junior Ollie Ferrer says, “Electric cars are great

for the environment, however they are not very efficient. For a long car ride, you have to have a

full battery and can only travel at a slow speed to preserve the battery.”

Whatever opinions are rolling off the tongues of the masses, this technology will never cease to

persist. Already, electric engines are being utilized in other forms of vehicles. Already, Google is

developing a smart car that will be capable of driving itself. Tesla is now developing a electric
semi that is silent and capable incredible burdens. To go even further, Solar impulse developed

the first solar powered airplane to travel the world.

Tencer, Daniel. “Number Of Cars Worldwide Surpasses 1 Billion; Can The World Handle This Many
Wheels?” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Canada, 19 Feb. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/08/23/car-
population_n_934291.html.

“Smog, Soot, and Other Air Pollution from Transportation.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 18 May
2018, www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/smog-soot-and-local-air-pollution.

Barboza, Tony. “87 Days of Smog: Southern California Just Saw Its Longest Streak of Bad Air in Decades.”
Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sept. 2018, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-smog-
streak-20180921-story.html.

Carrington, Damian. “Solar Plane Makes History after Completing Round-the-World Trip.” The Guardian,
Guardian News and Media, 26 July 2016, www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/26/solar-impulse-
plane-makes-history-completing-round-the-world-trip.

Chase, Robin. “Does Everyone in America Own a Car?” Youasked@Stategov,

photos.state.gov/libraries/cambodia/30486/Publications/everyone_in_america_own_a_car.pdf.

“The History of the Electric Car.” Department of Energy, 2014, www.energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car