Environmental Networking Platform for Children and Youth by SAMSUNG E&A
Stay connected with Eco-generation :
| Share 
| 
- Home >
- Our Actions >
- Ambassador report
8
Comments
Sustainable Transport: From Ford to Tesla |
|---|
|
Sustainable transportation is a crucial part of global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and their unhealthy effect on the planet. Here in the United States, the automobile has been synonymous with our lifestyles as well as our industries. While the first automobile was invented in 1886 by Karl Benz in Germany, it was the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan that began mass producing them in 1908, with the Model T. The rest was history, progress and good times, until the impact of massive air pollution began to catch up with us. Over the years the federal and state governments have recognized the damage caused by carbon emissions, and have put regulations in place to regulate them. California, where I live, is one of the strictest places for automobile emission standards. However, reducing emissions was only the beginning. With the advent of the electric car, we have the possibility for converting to truly clean, emissions-free solutions. In Palo Alto, California, where I live, local inventors have been tinkering with electric cars for decades. The first Electric Car Rally in Palo Alto dates back to 1972, and it has continued every year, now going strong for over 40 years. In fact, the invention of cars powered by electricity goes back to the 1800s, but the technology did not develop for modern use and mass production for a very long time. With cheap gasoline and lack of environmental awareness, the gasoline-powered vehicle remained the dominant type of transportation vehicle. That changed when the large car makers had to face new competition. The first highway-capable, fully electric plug-in car was the Tesla Roadster, first sold by Tesla Motors in 2008. Before that, Toyota had introduced the Prius, the first hybrid electric plug-in automobile, in 2000. Today, the top-selling fully electric plug-in cars in the world are the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla S. Clearly the trend is for mass adoption of electric vehicles. Older vehicles with poor emissions will end up on the scrap heap, and newer vehicles must either meet strict emissions standards or be powered by electricity. The story of the path blazed by Tesla shows that the world can transition to clean forms of transportation on a mass scale. |
 
|
|
|
|
|
Previous : The Real Sustainable Revolutio...
8 Comments
@Joshua Amponsem haha I totally agree with you xD (on 'I know Americans love cars' lol)
Posted 18-08-2016 12:46
wow. Nice piece. But then what happens to countries who have a major economic product as petroleum? And how affordable are these products for the average citizen? well i guess if these questions are not answered then more the world will protect the environment and starve the environs. please i need an answer. Thanks
Posted 18-08-2016 09:32
I hope Tesla stirs up the market and bring up the electric cars as the new standard for modern automobile. I think they have already impacted the car market to some extent that did not strive to go forward and put more R&D budgets to develop environmentally friendly cars. Thanks for sharing
Posted 18-08-2016 09:30
Oh and next time don't forget to site the references!
Posted 18-08-2016 01:30
Dante, thanks for sharing your report. It was an impressive idea to relate the history and invention of cars to environmental problems. Now it is the war between automobile companies to design more green, environmentally-friendly, and efficient cars. Thanks for sharing!
Posted 18-08-2016 01:30
Thanks Dante for this interesting and informative article on the evolution of the car tech. Very soon, electric car will be the order of the day.
Posted 17-08-2016 21:56
Technology is enabling improvements in production and fuel efficiency, but also encouraging us to drive more sustainably and change the way we use and think about the car. US automakers these days are in headlines for announcing new electric car models. This is a good thing. Car technology is driving sustainable transport system. But still private cars remains the most preferred means of transport in US which, I feel, needs to change. US govt should encourage use of mass transportation to have bigger environmental impact. Thanks for the report.
Posted 17-08-2016 17:36
Really?? The first electric car was made in 1972? Hmm, I'll look into that. Very informative article and brief too. I enjoyed your piece - I know Americans love cars
Posted 17-08-2016 08:42