Austin Y

English Outline

Gas and Diesel are better than Electric cars

Hello, my name is austin yaeger and today, i will be explaining why gas and diesel burning cars are better than electric cars. Most people, and most of you, drive either a gas or diesel car, so they have to be the best, right? You can’t haul much of anything with an electric car, but you can with gas or diesel cars. In many ways, gas and diesel are better than electric. Then again, electric cars are better than gas and diesel in some ways too. Gas and diesel can both get good gas mileage, but electric smokes them in that category. In general, the cost to buy a gas or diesel car is less than it is to buy an electric car. Also, gas and diesel cars do emit greenhouse gases into the air, and electric cars do not. However, the power plants that produce the electricity emit tons of pollution.

1. Diesel still gets good gas mileage
   1. Most electric cars’ mpg is around 84 mpge, which is very good for getting around town
   2. New diesel cars get around 30-40 mpg, which is pretty good for a diesel burning car
   3. According to Cheryl Knight, author of “Should You Buy a Hybrid, Diesel, or Electric Car?”, says that “One of the biggest disadvantages is finding a recharge point when away from home.” Trying to find a recharge point away from home is sometimes impossible, and can be dangerous when on a road trip.
2. In general, electric cars are more expensive than gas or diesel
   1. Not just buying the car itself, but repairing batteries and other electric car specific parts are expensive
   2. Some electric cars are fairly priced and range around $35,000 dollars. On the other hand, some electric cars can get very expensive to around 80-90,000 dollars.
   3. According to James R. Healey, author of  Electric cars vs. gas cars, says that,”Need expensive accessories. Installing a 240-volt home charger for a plug-in hybrid or electric car — pretty much a practical necessity — runs $1,500 to $3,000.”
3. Gas cars’ emissions are getting less and less
   1. According to John DeCecco, “Gasoline vehicle efficiency is already improving by nearly 4% per year, while emissions from U.S. electric power generation are not even declining by 1% per year.”
   2. Emissions are getting better for both, but the electric cars’ power plants where they get their electricity causes many bad emissions
   3. Looking at the numbers, we would assume that gas cars will one day be as efficient as electric cars
4. Rebuttal #1 – Electric cars are better for the environment
   1. According to John DeCecco, “If you think that electric cars will be needed someday, you first have to greatly cut carbon emissions from power generation.”
   2. The power plants that produce the electricity to charge the cars actually produce a lot of bad emissions that can seriously hurt the environment we all live in. algae blooms = death of all fish in the ocean
   3. The batteries they use in electric cars are actually not very good for the environment, “there should be greater environmental concern about power plants before rushing headlong into electric cars”
5. Rebuttal #2 – Electric cars are cheaper to repair
   1. According to John DeCecco, “To replace a battery pack outside of warranty could cost from $4,000 up. Battery warranties are long but not infinite — 100,000 miles”
   2. “To rebuild a gasoline four-cylinder engine, if that seems a fairer comparison, would cost roughly $2,000, though it could range much higher”
   3. Just because there might be less parts to an electric car, does not mean cheaper. The batteries themselves can cost a fortune to replace or repair.
6. Conclusion – In the end, the positive effects of gas and diesel outweigh the positives of electric. Between gas mileage, price, and emissions, gas and diesel are better than electric. Then again, nothing beats the sound of a big greenhouse gas emitting diesel plowing through the neighborhood. I thank you all for listening to my speech, and i hope you learned a little more about gas, diesel and electric cars.

Knight, Cheryl. “Should You Buy a Hybrid, Diesel, or Electric Car?” YourMechanic Advice, 2 May 2016, www.yourmechanic.com/article/should-you-buy-a-hybrid-diesel-or-electric-car-by-cheryl-knight.

James R., Healey and TODAY USA. “Electric Cars Vs. Gas Cars.” USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,cpid&custid=nebstlib&db=f6h&AN=J0E124353845113.