As car dealerships are starting to release more electric cars, they are taking over the car industry. In just the first three months of this year, electric car registrations went up by 60%. Additionally,  the state of California recently announced that gas-powered cars will officially be banned by 2035. This was almost immediately followed up by Oregon enforcing the same rule. Here are the pros and cons of eletric cars because by 2035 we may be driving them. 

Pros

First off, the pros of electrical cars. Right now with the gas prices drastically increasing, an electric can be considered a blessing. Here in California, we have the highest gas prices with an an average of $5.44 per gallon of regular gas. With an electric car you can save money and help reduce the carbon footprint that gasoline plays a big part in. According to the EPA, a traditional gas-fueled vehicle with a 22-miles per gallon range emits an average of 4.6 tons of carbon dioxide per year. For comparison, electric cars emit less than a ton of any carbon dioxide, and if you charge your vehicle with renewable energy, none is emitted at all. Another pro of electric cars is the minimal need for maintenance. Unlike gas powered cars, electrical cars don’t need frequent changes of fluids and parts. For example, gas cars need oil changes, which electrical cars don’t. Because of this electrical cars also tend to last longer and are more reliable than lots of gasoline cars. 

Cons

Despite, the many pros of electric cars, there are also a number of cons that are important to take into consideration. First of all, electric cars generally are more expensive than your ordinary car. Another con is the amount of time it takes for electric cars to charge. With gas powered cars this isn’t a problem as you would just go to a gas station and fill it up and you can continue driving in a few minutes. Also, electric cars generally have a shorter range than gas powered cars, making them less suitable for long car trips and better for everyday use. Additionally, they also cause more emission and the global warming potential from electric cars production is nearly twice of conventional vehicles. In addition to this, producing batteries and electric motors require toxic minerals including nickel, copper and aluminium.

The Effect of Electrical Cars

Based on these pros and cons, if we all end up driving electrical cars, it would impact the whole world. To start off with, gas stations would be useless and charging centers would be almost everywhere. Also the United States as a whole would use approximately 25% more electricity and cause more emission. And while electric cars aren’t necessarily environmentally friendly, they are overall better for the environment than gas cars. Car dealerships would also have to completely get rid of their gas-fueled cars, which right now is the majority of their models. Also, they wouldn’t need as many maintenance centers, as electric cars don’t have as many components that need to be frequently replaced.

In conclusion, electrical cars are on the rise and they will only continue to grow from here. Electrical cars have a fair number of pros and cons, and if we all have them, they will affect the world, for both the better and the worse.