Inspired #6: Electrifying our Cars

Doing the research for the policy brief, I have come to have a better understanding of where electric vehicles stand. Yes, at the moment, they are too expensive in order to be placed as America's car of choice. The Nissan Leaf costs anywhere from $27,000 to $30,000. While that may be a tad higher, it still shows that electric vehicles are at least in the wallet range of most consumers. It's not some Ferrari or anything of that sort. So then, why are they not that prevalent?

The answer lies in the fueling. How are you going to charge an entire car? There is potential with charging it at your home. The issue then becomes how do you fix it if it breaks? From my experience, electrical repairs are a lot more costly than mechanical ones. Also, there is a smaller share of the auto repairs market that does electrical work. Just drive around town and notice the vast difference between inspectors/ auto body shops vs. electrical repairs. Finally, there are a lack of charge stations, 5,000, compared to 126,000 gas stations in the U.S. So, you cannot really go on a trip without hoping to find a charge station along the way, unlike the steady supply of gas stations.

Despite the current drawbacks. The technology will only improve, and the repairs will be made simpler as people find ways to re-evaluate electrical systems. Over time, hydrogen fuel cells will become a probability and they can create the electricity needed for cars to move. So perhaps there does not have to be a huge influx of charge stations until the vehicle becomes more viable.

The ideal set up to me would be having solar panels in the deserts, wind turbines on the Rockies, and tidal turbines on the coast transporting electricity on the Smart Grid. Nuclear will offset the difference until solar takes over. From there, the electricity goes to charge stations or helps process hydrogen gas for fuel. Then the electric car would charge up or have a hydrogen fuel, both which would be clean. I guess market forces will decide which prevails after the electric hybrid car phase. Overall though, clean energy capture to transmission to vehicle paves the way for a fresh kind of air that has not been since the advent of the Industrial Revolution.