What do you think of when someone mentions electric cars? To many electric cars represent freedom from fossil fuel pollution. To them plugging your car into an electrical socket is much more environmentally friendly than relying on the carbon based energy commonly known as gasoline. The thought is if you aren’t burning gas in your car you must be helping out the environment. The problem is this isn’t true.
According to a recent study electric cars actually don’t reduce the pollution generated in many areas of the country. In fact they are the culprit for increasing pollution in some areas. What many individuals fail to take into account is the power needed to charge you electric car has to be generated some where, like a power plant. Using electric cars merely shifts the location pollution is generated. In some cases using a traditional gas powered car would generate less pollution than an electric vehicle because traditional car engines are so efficient. Sometimes conventional technology just beats out green technology.