Student Article High School Science Journal Author: Marisa O’Toole Gelo

Who Killed the Electric Car?

August 05, 2007

In 1830 Joseph Henry invented the first electric direct current (DC).  Interest in electric powered vehicles began to grow.  Engineers focused on making an electric powered vehicle for a common form of transportation.  Although EVs were more efficient and quieter than gas powered cars, in the 1900s gas-powered cars overshadowed EVs.  Gas-powered cars became more reliable, gasoline prices were cheap, and the gas-powered cars had better range than the EVs.  EVs disappeared for a long time, but recently with oil crises, concerns over the supply of fossil fuels, and expensive gas prices, the interest in EV’s is making a comeback.  Better late than never.

      Companies such as Ford and General Motors (GM) began making electric car models in the late 1900s.  But it was difficult to sell the cars with such high prices.  Most abandoned the EVs because they were losing money.  As the public became more knowledgeable of the pollution that gas-powered vehicles generate, the government forced carmakers to improve the quality of air.  GM, especially, had billions of dollars tied up in the production and sale of their gas powered cars.  If everyone started buying EV’s there would be a huge economic impact on GM. GM was not willing to take the sacrifice, so instead of starting to make EVs again they increased the efficiency of their vehicles.  Many car companies began to research EVs, because they feared legislation would soon force them to make and sell EVs.  GM spent many years researching and they built an efficient electric car from scratch.  But not enough people were buying them, so they pulled them off the market.  Constant fighting from car companies finally forced the law makers to give up on the demand that EVs be sold.   GM may have sabotaged its EV on purpose.  It didn’t see itself making profit of off EVs but wanted to show the public that they made an effort. 

      Also, GM and the other major car manufacturers have close ties to the oil industry, as their industries are very tightly related.  There may have been pressure from the oil industry or even the federal government.  The government has involved itself more than once on the issue of EVs.  The current administration has very strong ties to the oil industry.  The Bush family has made millions of dollars from oil.  They have ties to the oil industry starting almost 100 years ago.  There was an off shore oil drilling business started by one of the Bush descendants, also connections to Standard Oil and John D. Rockefeller.  But in current times, the Bush family is focusing their attention and wealth on oil in the Middle East.  Car making companies, like GM, have felt the pressures from the Bush administration (as well as previous governments) to keep selling gas-powered cars.  They don’t want to lose money. 

      The more gas you burn in your car, the more carbon dioxide is created and goes into the atmosphere.  A gallon of gas burned in a gas-powered car equals 19 pounds of CO2 into the air.  EVs do not use gasoline and are the most efficient vehicles invented.  They create less pollution and use less energy.  If everyone starts using EVs then we will not need to depend on foreign oil sources.  If people in general can do their part in saving the earth and trading in their gas-powered car for an Electric vehicle, than the world will be one step closer to solving the problems of pollution, global warming, and dependency on the Middle East for oil. 

 
Back to the Apple Blossom