[thematic report] Progress with Green Vehiclesby Katie Lau | 30-06-2021 09:06 |
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Over time, we have been working to develop more green solutions to our high emission, gasoline-driven cars. This solution has been in the form of green vehicles! Vehicles that are more efficient, and less polluting, have been entering the market more and more. Today, we have five vehicle technologies and fuels available: electricity, hydrogen, compressed natural gas (CNG), ethanol, and biodiesel. There are some very interesting sources of these fuels: ethanol can be produced from cereal grains, sugar crops, and cellulose from waste or woody biomass. Biodiesel can be produced from oilseed crops, waste greases, and oil from algae. All of these are (or are starting to) be available at many public stations. As people become part of the transition, people should understand the differences between electric and gas cars: costs of fuel & maintenance, overall purchase price. Although electric cars are more expensive upfront, a full charge can be cheaper, an average of $6.86 compared to a $40 gas tank. (distance traveled by a full electric tank vs. gas tank varies, however.) Electric vehicles tend to cost less to maintain as well. Electric vehicles generate more torque (drives cars forward) than gas vehicles, which allows them to go quicker between locations (despite having a lower maximum speed). I think the US Environmental Protection Agency says it well, ¡°Reducing vehicle emissions and increasing your fuel economy helps the environment- and your wallet.¡± References used: https://www.caranddriver.com/research/a32781943/electric-cars-vs-gas-cars/ https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/learn-about-green-vehicles |