Replace a gas car with an electric
Earth Points100 
EaseAmbitious
Summary
Switch to an electric vehicle to reduce climate pollution and enjoy a better driving experience. Look for tax credits and make the change to save time, and breathing in fumes, going to the gas station.
Description
Join the fastest-growing segment of the car market, and replace your internal combustion engine (ICE) car with an electric vehicle (EV) to reduce the pollution from burning dirty gas or diesel.
No more extra trips and breathing in fumes at the gas station — wake up every morning to a fully charged car. EVs are being found to have incredibly long lives — 25 years+, due to low needs for engine maintenance. Plus enjoy a more powerful, quiet, responsive, and overall better driving experience.
It is predicted by 2040 the EVs will make up well more than half of new car sales worldwide. This likely means resale values of EVs will be maintained or increase, as more buyers will seek EVs, and not carbon pollution-producing ICEs.
No more extra trips and breathing in fumes at the gas station — wake up every morning to a fully charged car. EVs are being found to have incredibly long lives — 25 years+, due to low needs for engine maintenance. Plus enjoy a more powerful, quiet, responsive, and overall better driving experience.
It is predicted by 2040 the EVs will make up well more than half of new car sales worldwide. This likely means resale values of EVs will be maintained or increase, as more buyers will seek EVs, and not carbon pollution-producing ICEs.
Tips
• Although they can be more expensive at first (unless you buy used), the maintenance and running costs are very low on an EV. There are no transmissions to break or oil to change. Plus charging costs are typically lower than buying fuel.
• Check for tax credits to reduce the price even further. Many governments are incentivizing this to speed up the transition away from polluting energy.
• EVs also typically maintain a great resale value.
• Think about your driving habits when finding the best vehicle to meet your needs. Depending on your driving habits, you may be able to do all of your driving with a car that has a shorter charge range.
• Good used electric cars from a few years ago are available at very affordable prices in most areas. Buying used cars avoids much of the embodied emissions still required to build a new car.
• If you live in a rural area, or for longer road trips, you will need a car with a larger range. That said, fast-charging networks are now being built across many countries, so now even road trips are becoming a breeze.
• Public charging stations can be found on many apps and websites.
• An electrician can easily install a place to plug in an EV at your home. That is especially true if you plan to park near where your main electrical box is located. Many work locations now also have EV charging options nearby or onsite.
• EVs have the greatest positive impact if charged with clean renewable electricity. Even if that is not an option in your area, EVs are clearly better for the environment than ICE vehicles, despite what propaganda from polluters may say.
• The negative environmental impacts of mining for battery components do exist, but climate change will cause far more devastation worldwide than mining will. Also, massive research is being done on improving the efficiency of EV batteries, which, if they work, will reduce the need to mine. Plus EV cars have a long, long life, so there is less mining required for the steel (and plastic) and other components in order to replace the car in the future.
• Driving an EV is a visible action that can cause others to change, plus it causes a cultural shift by speeding up infrastructure changes.
• Still hesitant? Take a ride in one and find out for yourself. Their acceleration, for instance, is often superior to ICE cars.
• Check for tax credits to reduce the price even further. Many governments are incentivizing this to speed up the transition away from polluting energy.
• EVs also typically maintain a great resale value.
• Think about your driving habits when finding the best vehicle to meet your needs. Depending on your driving habits, you may be able to do all of your driving with a car that has a shorter charge range.
• Good used electric cars from a few years ago are available at very affordable prices in most areas. Buying used cars avoids much of the embodied emissions still required to build a new car.
• If you live in a rural area, or for longer road trips, you will need a car with a larger range. That said, fast-charging networks are now being built across many countries, so now even road trips are becoming a breeze.
• Public charging stations can be found on many apps and websites.
• An electrician can easily install a place to plug in an EV at your home. That is especially true if you plan to park near where your main electrical box is located. Many work locations now also have EV charging options nearby or onsite.
• EVs have the greatest positive impact if charged with clean renewable electricity. Even if that is not an option in your area, EVs are clearly better for the environment than ICE vehicles, despite what propaganda from polluters may say.
• The negative environmental impacts of mining for battery components do exist, but climate change will cause far more devastation worldwide than mining will. Also, massive research is being done on improving the efficiency of EV batteries, which, if they work, will reduce the need to mine. Plus EV cars have a long, long life, so there is less mining required for the steel (and plastic) and other components in order to replace the car in the future.
• Driving an EV is a visible action that can cause others to change, plus it causes a cultural shift by speeding up infrastructure changes.
• Still hesitant? Take a ride in one and find out for yourself. Their acceleration, for instance, is often superior to ICE cars.
Additional Resources
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/every-electric-car-ev-range-audi-chevy-tesla/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920917310295
https://about.bnef.com/blog/electric-vehicles-accelerate-54-new-car-sales-2040/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920917310295
https://about.bnef.com/blog/electric-vehicles-accelerate-54-new-car-sales-2040/
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Photo Credit
Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash