Unit 1 Standards-based Formative Assessment #10A

The EV

How Electric Vehicles Rode the Wave of the Future

Electric cars whir down highways everywhere today, their whispering engines and astonishing gas mileage impressing those old enough to remember the gas-guzzling, yacht-sized family station wagon of yore. Surprisingly, today’s slick, electric vehicles (or EVs) date back to the dawn of batteries in the mid-1800s: those motorized carriages foresaw the future, and that future is happening right now. Today’s electric vehicles continue to anticipate the future of technology and its impact on the environment. (paragraph 1)

Electric vehicles contain a battery-driven engine rather than the traditional, gasoline-fueled internal-combustion engine. In the mid-1800s, cell batteries were not rechargeable; they were powerful enough to move very early electric cars, but replacing single-use batteries every time the charge wore out made these early vehicles impractical. By 1900, however, the future arrived in the form of rechargeable batteries that stored enough fuel to move cars faster than their gasoline-powered peers and longer than old single-use batteries. Their battery-powered engines also held other advantages over gasoline cars: they lacked the terrible smell of pollutants and the noise of gas engines as well as the gas-engine’s hand crank necessary for starting the engine. But users of electric-charged vehicles in suburban and rural towns lacked access to one important detail at the turn of the 20th century: electricity. Gasoline was more readily available and affordable, and by the 1950s, the lure of the open road and faster speeds proved a death knell for the early EV movement. (paragraph 2)

The lithium-ion battery changed the way manufacturers and users thought of electric cars, mostly because the lighter, energy-dense battery increased drive time and made street-worthy EVs accessible to wealthy consumers. The increasing cost of fossil fuels in the later 20th century and an uptick in environmental laws made cleaner cars attractive to manufacturers as well as to buyers. And in 2000, the first hybrid cars—run on both electricity and gasoline—swept the market, ushering in the future that car makers had anticipated a century earlier. With the transition to plug-in electric cars now complete, the internal-combustion engine is quickly taking a back seat to EV technology. (paragraph 3)

An electric engine depends on its battery for power, and the battery depends on electricity for its charge. When the battery charge is low, owners can plug a car into a standard 120-volt outlet, which can take quite a few hours to charge a thoroughly depleted battery; or, they can use a 240-volt outlet to get the job done faster. In recent years, the number of charging stations has grown exponentially in convenient spaces such as mall and school parking lots, in workspace garages, and in parking lots for public transportation. Some new EVs claim to drive 300 miles before needing a charge, but such a distance will depend on terrain and driving technique. (paragraph 4)

Electric cars have become enormously popular now that their price makes them accessible for a huge number of buyers; however, this popularity is causing some challenges for EV owners. For homeowners, creating a convenient charging port in a garage or driveway may be part of the commitment to buying an EV. A handy charging port makes it easy to have a fully charged vehicle ready for use. But for renters whose landlords do not offer a port, charging a car may depend on finding a public station or laying a power cord across a public sidewalk, which causes a hazard for pedestrians. While major cities around the world strive to increase the number and convenience of charging stations, finding ports in smaller communities remains slightly more difficult. (paragraph 5)

In many ways, the future dreamed up by EV makers 30—or 100—years ago has arrived. Cars can now travel without fossil fuels, without emitting carbon pollution, using sustainable electric energy, and at prices many can afford. But the future of EVs includes yet more innovation, including motors placed directly in the wheels for better power efficiency and control. One maker claims its future models will reach 500 miles on a full battery charge. And ongoing research hopes to improve the environmental costs of battery production and disposal. (paragraph 6)