Introduction
As a research topic, I chose to consider the impact of the increase in fuel prices in 2022 on the electric cars’ market share. In addition, an essential part of the study is the answer to the question about the future of personal transport. It is a critical issue for the future of all humanity for many reasons. First, I am interested in exploring it because humanity faces a global challenge, climate change, which requires a lightning-fast response and intelligent solutions.
As a background of this topic, it is essential to emphasize that considering an electric car not only as an alternative to fuel-based autos but also as a tool to minimize the effects of global warming began immediately after its creation (Graham, 2021). I have never been able to answer satisfactorily about the future of personal transport because of the lack of different points of view and sufficient information. However, by considering the different types of sources and carefully working with the facts, I hope to come up with an answer from this research.
Electric Cars and Road Pricing Reform
As the first source, I have chosen the article about electric vehicles and road pricing reform by David Hensher (2020). I decided to start with this source because the author describes the negative impact of moving towards green energy, a rare opinion regarding electric cars. As the main argument of this article, it is vital to highlight the opinion that green energy will significantly increase the use of cars and create problems with road pricing.
As Hensher (2020) states, “Moving to green energy to reduce (if not eliminate) end-use vehicle emissions runs the very real risk of increasing congestion significantly if governments continue to reject road pricing reform” (p. 1). As for the value of the source, after its consideration, I can think about different points of view and develop my research further. The missing thing from the article is the description of the experience in road pricing, which I want to consider. It has also taught me that electric cars demand specific infrastructure and laws, and I want to go from here to explore auto costs.
Comparison of Different Cost Aspects
To find more data, I decided to consider CNA Insider, which compares the costs of ICE and EV autos by different categories. It is critical to stress that, at many significant points, the electric vehicle is already cheaper than the fuel-based one. For example, the cost of a yearly mileage of 20,000 km in an ICE, Hyundai Avante, is $3,304.80, while the EV, Hyundai Ioniq Electric, is only $1,287 (CNA Insider, 2022). However, the price of the car itself for an EV is still higher by about 27%, which is $227,888 compared to $180,999 for an ICE car (CAN Insider, 2022).
However, the rise in fuel prices may significantly impact the long-term price of fuel-based autos. The video does not consider the prices of other car models, which I want to consider. As a valuable source, I got comparative information about fuel-based and electric cars, which allowed me to move further. From here, I want to think about possible opportunities for an increase in fuel prices.
Increased Prices on Fuel as an Opportunity for Humanity
A significant number of decades after the invention of automobiles, people used various energy types, including fuels, to bring the engine to work. To find subquestions for my research, it is crucial to consider the book Electric Vehicles and the Future of Energy Efficient Transportation by Sheldon et al. (2021), in which the author views it as a problem. This factor contributed to the fact that mankind has become accustomed to this type of energy. This means switching to other energy forms will be difficult (Sheldon et al., 2021). On the one hand, conservatism will play a significant role. On the other hand, the a lack of sufficient knowledge to understand the advantages of other types of energy compared to fuels (Sheldon et al., 2021).
Nevertheless, it is essential to emphasize that the rise in the price of this fuel has been a catalyst for people to think about other forms of energy, such as electricity. The missing thing from this source is the projection of the future of cars, which I want to consider. This source is valuable for me as a step towards considering the advantages and disadvantages of fuel and electricity, which I want to do going forward.
Disadvantages of Fuel
To understand the shift in minds that has occurred in the context of fuel price increases, I must consider the drawbacks of this type of energy. In the video What’s the best fuel for your car? by TED-Ed (2021), the author discusses this issue in detail. This source will allow me to obtain more data regarding the primary question. Three major factors were described in this video.
First, cleaning up oil spills costs billions of dollars and causes environmental damage (TED-Ed, 2021). Second, burning fossil fuels kills 4.5 million people every year because of pollution (TED-Ed, 2021). Third, car emissions cause global warming, which leads to the most dangerous problem nowadays, climate change (TED-Ed, 2021). Such significant drawbacks have made me wonder why mankind has not yet gotten rid of fuel-powered autos.
Advantages of Electric Cars
On the other hand, the video’s author provides evidence of the advantages of electric cars over other vehicles. First, with the proper infrastructure, electric cars can be as efficient as gas-powered cars (TED-Ed, 2021). Second, they can entirely avoid greenhouse gas emissions (TED-Ed, 2021). Third, since 2010, the cost difference between electric and gas-powered cars has been shrinking (TED-Ed, 2021). These factors suggest the environmental benefits of electric cars.
Summarizing Pros and Cons
I have described in detail the advantages and disadvantages of the two types of energy to understand the effect of the 2022 fuel price surge on the market share of electric vehicles. Electric cars’ significant benefits leave no doubt about their usefulness to people and the planet. However, one more thing to stress is that they remain expensive and form a market segment called Green Premium (TED-Ed, 2021).
As TED-Ed (2021) states, “Governments have already started subsidizing electric vehicles to help make up the difference” (00.03.45). And in some places in the world, electric cars are equal to fuel-based cars overall (TED-Ed, 2021). The missing thing for me was the consideration of electric vehicles in the context of global warming. The TED-Ed video is valuable because I have obtained the necessary information about the pros and cons of fuel and electric cars. From here, I want to make assumptions and approximate the research question.
Conclusion
It is essential to emphasize that the resources examined in the study have become critical tools for understanding the various features of the topic. Comparing different points of view and the availability of sufficient information allowed me to reach a reasonable conclusion on the study question. I concluded that an electric car would completely replace alternative fuels if it could be made available, which would benefit not only the people but also the planet. In addition, the influence of an increased price of fuels will make this shift quicker and have a positive impact on the electric cars’ market share. On the other hand, I realized that it takes a long time and requires a lot of scientific discoveries.
References
CNA Insider. (2022). With fuel prices at record highs, is it time to switch to electric vehicles? | Money Mind | EV [Video], YouTube. Web.
Graham, J. (2021). The global rise of the modern plug-in electric vehicle: Public policy, innovation and strategy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Hensher, D. (2020). Electric cars – They may in time increase car use without effective road pricing reform and risk lifecycle carbon emission increases. Routledge, 40(3), 265–266. Web.
Sheldon, S., Krishna, S., Mohan, L., Febin, D. (2021). Electric vehicles and the future of energy-efficient transportation. IGI Global.
TED-Ed. (2021). What’s the best fuel for your car? [Video], YouTube. Web.