The topic of whether electric cars will produce less air pollution than a gasoline car is highly debated. There are two categories of emissions produced by a vehicle: lifetime and direct emissions (emissions produced directly from driving the vehicle). While it may seem that electric cars would produce next to no direct emissions, there may be more than what initially meets the eye, as more than just the engine can create air pollution. For lifetime emissions, one would look at air pollution created from vehicle and fuel production. Lastly, one must recognize that electric cars are still a relatively new territory of technology, and haven’t matured as much as the conventional gasoline car, therefore, this may turn away many potential buyers. With less electric cars on the road, the environmental impact of electric cars will be doubted. The government also has a take on the situation, as many support the use of electric vehicles, with many providing rebates to those …show more content…
This type of emissions includes emissions made during manufacturing and fuel production, along with the direct emissions produced by the car. According to the US Energy Information administration, electricity production in the United States (2016) is mostly dominated by Natural gas = 33.8% and Coal = 30.4%. With most of the electricity in the United States provided by natural gas or coal, it is likely that a large portion of the population would receive power from those plants to charge their vehicles. Mining and burning these substances creates significantly more air pollution than a gasoline engine. A study conducted by the union of concerned scientists revealed that electric cars in Midwest states produce equivalent amounts of emissions into the air as conventional gasoline vehicles and some hybrids (31 to 40 mpg gasoline equivalent)- this region accounts for 17% of the American population. In the study, it