11,435 pounds or 5 ½  tons. That is the equivalent of how much CO2 the average gasoline-powered vehicle emits every year. These emissions have severe consequences on the Earth. Scientists estimate in six years and 245 days it will be too late to stop global warming on Earth. The time to make a change is now. What could possibly change this? Electric vehicles. 

More and more internal combustion engine (ICE) car manufacturers are making the expensive and painful switch to electric vehicles. Today, an electric vehicle on average emits 3,774 pounds of CO2, which comes from the building of the battery, not the actual driving of the car. As the earth’s life expires from the toxicants that spew from ICE vehicles worldwide, EVs are ready to dethrone legacy automakers and their ICE vehicles; we must make the switch to save our planet.

The new electric vehicles outperform ICE vehicles on many different levels. As far as emissions go, EVs are exponentially better for the environment than any ICE vehicle. EVs have a price advantage over time once tax incentives and gas prices are taken into consideration, and they are quite accessible. The market will continue to expand as they grow in popularity.

However, they do have their share of problems. Battery range, charging and initial price are among some of the disadvantages. New 2021 EV batteries have a range of well over 200 miles, and top-tier EVs have batteries that can carry drivers almost 390 miles. An average ICE vehicle can travel up to 300 miles on a 12 gallon tank - which translates to 25 miles per gallon. 

Today major supporters of ICE vehicles often argue that EV’s take too long to charge and to some extent they are correct. An average EV takes roughly 11 hours to charge from 0% to 100% at a house charger. If you can locate a public level 3 charger, your vehicle could charge from 20% to 80% in a mere 45 minutes. While this is not ideal, it would allow a driver to get home where they could leave their car to charge for a longer period of time. One big problem is that in some parts of the United States public chargers are not easily accessible. However, battery life and charging capabilities of EVs are expected to improve as they gain popularity. 

There is also the common misconception that the initial price of an EV is too high. In reality, if you are looking for an electric vehicle with a budget of anywhere from $30,000 - $40,000 you won’t have trouble finding one. So, for the average American household, an ICE vehicle currently would be the more financially responsible choice. As the demand for electric vehicles rises, as it has been doing for years, the price to buy will continue to drop. 

With the growing EV market, accessibility will not be a problem in the near future. The EV market is projected to grow to 54% of new car sales by 2040. The US will need a lot of chargers to make EVs practical and accessible. As of now there are only about 41,000 EV chargers scattered across the United States; however, in his new infrastructure plan, President Biden has proposed to add 500,000 new chargers across the US by 2030. If this plan stands there will be no difficulty finding a charger within a few years. ICE vehicle supporters won’t be able to argue that it would be too hard to find a charger if going on a long road trip. Accessibility of EVs also includes dealerships that actually sell them, and after some quick research, I located at least 5 dealerships that sell EVs within a few hours of my small hometown of Hudson, Massachusetts. 

EVs are gaining a price advantage over ICE vehicles when tax incentives, absence of gas prices and steadily lowering initial costs are taken into consideration. Many states across the US offer tax incentives that benefit people who purchase EVs. For example in Massachusetts, if you purchase an EV you will get a $2,500 rebate, and if the EV meets the Federal requirements buyers can also get a federal income tax credit of up to $7,500. Both of these credits also apply to hybrid cars but with less cash return for the buyer. Some of the requirements include having a weight of under 14,000 pounds, being a new vehicle, and using the car for everyday use not resale. Once you have purchased an EV, you will not have to purchase any gas. The average amount spent on gas by an American household is $3,000 a year whereas all electric vehicle chargers are free to use. This extra $3,000 every year after the tax benefits makes EVs the better option financially for Americans. 

Still after these price reductions, EVs are not cheap by any means with the average EV costing roughly $55,000, a 13% decrease from last season. Although there are more affordable options out there, EVs have a lot of work to do to catch up with the price advantages that ICE vehicles carry, seeing as an average ICE vehicle costs $36,000. As the EV market continues to expand globally, price reductions will continue. With more Legacy Automakers switching to EVs and trying to compete with big manufacturers like Tesla, more and more affordable options will be released in the coming years.

Pollution is a serious, global problem, and ICE vehicles are not helping. As reported by the Environmental Protection Agency, roughly 75% of carbon monoxide pollution is attributed to motor vehicles, and 27% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by transportation in the United States. Also, the United States, while only owning 30% of the world’s vehicles, contributes to almost half of the world’s emissions from vehicles. 

Some states, such as Maine, California, and Hawaii, aim to have ZERO emissions within 15-30 years; however, many states have not set any goals for reducing their emissions. Since the EV market is blossoming quicker than most people predicted, states might not even need to set emissions goals. Last year, even during the global pandemic worldwide EV sales increased by 42%. With electric vehicles being responsible for a mere ⅓ of the emissions that an ICE vehicle gives off, the increasing number of EVs is a promising sign for the environment, especially in the United States. 

The world must reverse the effects of global warming. An absolutely essential step to that process is switching to electric vehicles. With their growing accessibility, decreasing prices, and limited emission, electric vehicles may be the solution to our problems. The ICE age is coming to a close, and Legacy Automakers need to realize that before it’s too late. 

To slow global warming, the world must take EVs more seriously. If drastic changes aren’t made soon, then the world will have no chance of recovering, further dooming generations to come. We are the ones that caused this crisis, along with the generations before us that relied on ICE vehicles. Consequently, we are now the only ones who have the chance to fix the mess that has been made. Every second that we continue to drive ICE vehicles, no matter how often or how far, is another contribution to the death of our planet. Precious natural resources, animal populations, coral reefs and glaciers are affected every moment that the world fails to act. ICE vehicles are killing the Earth at an alarming rate. This is evident as we look at the rapidly eroding Cape Cod beaches and threateningly high sea levels in beloved cities like Venice, Italy. Do we dare to imagine a world without these places?  When will enough be enough?  The time to act is now!

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