For generations humans have enjoyed the freedom of owning an automobile. Cars enable people to travel on their own accord, far beyond normal boundaries, and without the hassles of public transportation. Subsequently, people have become willing to pay enormous sums of cash for the machines that take them to work, back, and everywhere in-between. The true cost of this luxury, however, is far greater than any monthly payment. The gasoline powered automobile require drivers to indulge in precious resources which damage the planets’ atmosphere every-time they press the pedal. To address this environmental concern, the electric car project was initiated but dismissed by many at first because early prototypes were too slow, expensive, and range limited for practical use. After all, customers want a car which will enhance their freedom, not limit it. Times have since changed however, and thanks to technological breakthroughs the electric car no longer falls victim to the early issues which once stalled its’ progress. A new generation of electric cars enable people to enjoy all the freedoms of driving without having dramatic effects on the environment. Unlike prior designs, EVs now feature incredible battery ranges, an exhilarating driving experience, low costs of ownership, and increased luxuries. These distinct advantages, paired with the global initiative to go green, lead me to believe that we are on the brink of an Electric car revolution.  It appears clear that Electric car sales will only continue to increase until the EV replaces gasoline automobiles to serve as the future of transportation.  

The largest area of skepticism surrounding electric cars was the limited battery ranges. The fact of the matter is people will only be willing to spend their hard earned money on an electric car if it is equally capable to a gasoline design. Most consumers are not yet willing to sacrifice usability in order to go green, and the limited range of early EVs prevented drivers with a long daily commute from purchasing one.  Luckily, automotive engineers have alleviated this concern by fully redesigning the lithium ion batteries which power electric cars. The result is a new wave of eco-friendly vehicles with an average range per charge that which exceeds the distance most gasoline cars can travel on a full tank.  ABC news praised this breakthrough in a recent article by presenting the example of Tesla Motors “The Tesla Model S sedan gets an EPA rating of three hundred and fifteen miles, with the Model X SUV managing two hundred and eighty five miles. Even-longer-range products are under development, including a compact model Volkswagen has confirmed that could deliver nearly four hundred miles per charge” (Eisenstein 1).  This simply proves that electric vehicles can no longer be considered range limited; both of the cars mentioned above enable drivers to travel the equivalence of a full tank of gasoline off just one charge. This means any driver who consumes less than one tank per day could now consider an EV as substitute. Take into consideration the fact that Americans, on average, drive fewer than 40 miles per day (Berman 1) and it becomes clean that EVs could in fact be utilized as a daily driver by most Americans. This factor alone has convinced thousands of drivers to make the switch to electric cars, but progress doesn't stop there. AS  mentioned in Eisenstein’s article, new electric cars are on the way with even greater max ranges in store. This can be accredited to a new technology called regenerative breaking, which allows electric cars to re-harness kinetic energy during deceleration (Diether). The recycled energy is then returned to the cars’ lithium ion battery where it can be used later on. Engineering breakthroughs such as this have greatly increased the range of electric vehicles, and will continue to do so as more automakers gain interest and begin directing resources toward developing EV technology. One thing is for certain, the limits of electric cars are yet to be pushed and greater ranges are in store. As a result the world, and its’ drivers, are beginning to take interest. 

Despite extraordinary advancements in the lithium ion battery, the electric car still has opponents. Critics claim that the need to charge a car is too much of a hinderance for drivers, because they cannot re-fill on the go or take the car on road trips which exceed max range (Woodhill). However, like most counter arguments against electric cars, this concern has recently been alleviated by technology. Companies like Tesla now offer quick charge stations which are capable of charging vehicles at up to 120 kW, which equates to about 170 miles of range in as little as 30 minutes (Tesla Inc). These stations, considered by many to be the electric vehicles of a gas station, are spawning like wild fire in the United States and other leading nations. Best of all, they are currently free for all electric car owners. To date, Tesla has constructed 5,295 superchargers with even more on the way, and other electric car manufactures have begun construction on similar stations. Best of all, the system is basically idiot proof; newer EVs have intelligent GPS systems which will direct a user past a quick charge station if they select a root which exceeds maximum distance. Amazingly enough, this means you could drive an electric car from New York to Los Anglos completely free of charge.  Finally electric car skeptics with “range anxiety”, or the fear of running out of charge before making it home, can rest easy and let the car handle all calculations. Combine quick charge stations with the already fantastic range of Modern EVs, and you're left with a car which enables owners to enjoy all the freedoms of driving and then some without damaging the planet, or their wallets. 

Moving on from the greatly enhanced range of an electric car, allow me to address another common misconception amongst potential buyers. Early electric cars were far from track oriented, with sub par acceleration speeds and almost laughable handling. Consequently, cars powered by electricity got a reputation for being boring, or a sacrifice in enjoyability for the sake of the environment. For years this negative stereotype deterred many drivers, including myself, from considering an electric vehicle. While some may buy a car solely on practicality, many consumers want something they will actually enjoy driving on a daily basis, something that makes them smile when the pedal goes down. Luckily, the electric car has become the best of both worlds; a beautiful mixture of power and partiality with no compromise on either end. You may be wondering how a battery powered car could possibly compete with a combustion engine in regard to performance. I for one was baffled when a friend claimed that his all electric Tesla would beat out my V8 powered sports car on the drag strip; to my surprise however he was correct. Car and Driver recorded an average zero to sixty time of 2.6 seconds when testing the all electric, 2016 Tesla model S P90D. To put things into perspective, that makes it the fastest four door car they have ever tested, with an acceleration speed greater than any Ferrari for sale. This is all possible thanks to the instant torque electric motors provide. Traditional combustion engines gradually build in power once the pedal is pressed, reaching maximum potential only when the cam shafts’ rotations per minute (rpm)  falls within a small “power band”. This means a gasoline car produces peak power and torque 3-5 seconds after the pedal is pressed, and this high output can only last a few seconds before the engine must switch gears. Modern electric motors, on the contrary, generate peak power instantly upon acceleration, meaning there is no delay whatsoever, and are able to maintain high output for as long as necessary (Lovellette 3). The result is exhilarating acceleration which pins the driver against his or her seat as if they are on roller coaster; far from boring to say the least. This revelation has inspired a plethora of performance oriented drivers to consider buying electric. Best of all, this amazing performance comes at no additional charge to the owner.  Gasoline powered cars have complex drivetrains with countless moving parts, thus resulting in increased wear and tear, broken parts, and a mountain of maintenance costs.  The drivetrain which powers an electric car is simple by comparison with only a few main components; this means that they are more difficult to break and far less susceptible to normal wear and tear. The result is a car that you can push to the limits every single day without fear of breaking down. Oil changes, tune ups, and countless other finical burdens associated with driving have finally been alleviated by the electric car. Once more drivers become aware of the fact that electric cars are actually faster than gas alternatives the EV movement will skyrocket at an even sharper pace.

As mentioned previously, the electric car revolution is currently tainted by three negative stereotypes; slow, boring, and expensive. Having addressed the first two arguments, allow me to acknowledge the high cost of electric vehicles. When electric cars first started to appear, many were beta versions manufactured by niche companies as a sort of experimentation. Large corporations did not yet see the potential, or customer base, for electric cars and decided to hold off for the time being. Instead, small companies took on the job in an attempt to push boundaries and make a name for themselves, but lacked the assembly lines and resources of a company such as Ford or Nissan. As a result, these manufactures produced cars at low volumes which caused the value of each to skyrocket due to supply and demand. This mean’t early electric cars were strictly reserved for those who wanted to taste the future and had the finical means to do so; the Fisker Karma for example, an early all electric car, featured a starting price of $119,000 dollars, but buyers still flocked (Woodhill 2). After viewing the success of small companies like Tesla and Frisker, the worlds’ large auto manufactures decided they wanted in on the pot. Now, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Kia, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, and countless other brands have all electric models available or in production (Leone). This brings about a healthy form of market competition where auto manufactures will have to compete and drive down prices in an attempt to sell cars. Consequently, the price of electric vehicles has fallen greatly and will likely continue to do so. BMW, Chevrolet, and Toyota already offer variants for under 30,000, with even more models on the way. According to USA Today, the average price of a new car is 33,560, which makes these Electric models quiet competitive. Even the most luxury oriented EV manufactures are attempting to increase affordability for the average consumer.  Tesla motors, for example is planning to release a “Model 3” variant in mid May, 2018 with a starting price of only $35,000. Despite the fact that this is still years away, thousands rushed to place the hefty $1,000 deposit for a car they will not even get to see, let alone test drive, until the day they take delivery. Elon Musk, the bold CEO of Tesla Motors, reported that the company has already received more than 400,000 preorders for the Model 3 (as of March 2017). (Healy). This staggering number simply proves that the public is anxious to get their hands on electric vehicles. The model 3’s $35,000 starting price is a strong step toward making EV’s cheap enough for the average market, and while not quite there yet, it certainly proves that the customers are waiting. In spite of this, large manufactures will have to make their vehicles cheaper to compete with Teslas’ extremely appealing package,  thus further lowering the price of your average EV.  Regardless of what the future holds, electric vehicles are no longer exclusive to the rich and already feature price points competitive with gasoline automobiles. Factor in the government subsides electric car owners receive for going green in combination with the money they'll save at the pump, and electric cars really start  to make sense finically. 
