Saving the Planet, One Drive at a Time

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Unpredictable oil prices can cause stress to car owners. And in these times of global warming driving a Hummer down the street isn’t so eco friendly. Because of this reason car companies to the new trend of today which is, eco friendly cars.

One of the most dangerous feature gasoline cars possess is their exhaust which can cause a burden to those already suffering from illnesses like asthma or heart disease. Car exhaust gases include carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur oxide carcinogens and much more. The lethal gas which is carbon monoxide if inhaled can bind to red blood cells before oxygen can, making it difficult to breathe. In urban areas car exhaust can contribute to about 50 to 90 percent of air pollution.

But other than exhaust there is the scare for oil depletion. The petroleum we use today is from algae, plants and microorganisms that died millions of years ago compressed by the layers of sediment above. As a result petroleum is not a renewable source of energy. The solution would cars that run purely on electric. Electricity however can be generated from renewable sources such as solar, nuclear, hydro or geothermal.

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Electric cars don’t have the standard engine but instead have motors that turn electrical energy into mechanical energy. The lithium ion battery can be located either at the bottom or hood of the car. A popular electric car of today in America is the Tesla, which does not look very different from any other car. To charge your car you can simply plug it into an outlet at home or you could go to a (240V) Tesla supercharger which would charge is faster. Charging times depends on the voltage and how far one wants to travel. It can vary from a few minutes to a couple hours. So far Tesla motors has built 350 supercharges across the United States.

An electric car isn’t the most convenient car of today, but there are still ways to save the planet. Many sport car companies have been opting for the Hybrid, a car with both an electric motor and a gasoline engine. There is the Mclaren P1, the BMW I8, Ferarri F150. Interestingly some hybrids have regenerative braking which is basically means that when you brake at a stop light you can charge the battery. Many countries support electric cars and will reward you for using one while you save the planet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_incentives_for_plug-in_electric_vehicles

http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/31/5757312/three-maps-teslas-plan-to-blanket-the-world-in-superchargers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Model_S

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_depletion

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/percentage-of-air-pollution-due-to-cars.htm

http://ask.cars.com/2008/02/electric-car-mo.html

http://www.safersolutions.org.au/a/15-a-z-of-chemicals/a-z-of-chemicals-c/46-car-exhaust-gases.html

http://insideevs.com/tesla-supercharger-network-expected-to-grow-to-250-in-us-by-end-of-2014/

http://www.pluginamerica.org/faq/how-long-does-it-take-charge-plug-car

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