What's is the difference, between electric cars, and gasoline cars?

Question

What's is the difference, between electric cars, and gasoline cars?

Answer 1

Gasoline and electricity are like oranges and apples. Gasoline is a liquid fossil fuel with an enormous amount of potential energy which can be fired in a cylinder to translate the pressure of an explosion into mechanical force. Electricity is the movement of electrons through conductors creating an electromagnetic  field within electric motors translating the energy into mechanical force. The energy of Gasoline is easily stored, transported, and applied in an engine with minimal energy input and cost. Electricity on the other hand is not easily stored, but it is much easier to transport over great distances through wires. The technology of electrical energy storage has not been solved. Of course batteries store electrical energy. Batteries are a chemical storage which works well for most electrical devices, except for cars. Electric cars require an enormous amount of electrical energy and are therefore marginally efficient. The reason is the vast number of conversions taking place. Coal or fuel oil is burned to create heat, which heats water, which creates steam/pressure, which turns turbines, which turns generators, creating electrons, which flow through wire over long distances with great loss, which is then charging your car battery as a chemical potential, which then again powers an electric motor, (a reverse generator), in the car, which is mechanical force to turn the wheels. It might be acceptable to drive an electric car if batteries had much more capacity and the conversion efficiency of each step are improved. So, don't be lured into the romance of electricity because they are just as polluting as gasoline or more.

Gasoline is a product of crude oil refinement and is very toxic to the environment during every level of the process from the oil rig to the exhaust pipe. There are more cars than the planet can sustain at this point and something needs to change or we will be doomed.

Things which may improve this situation are solar energy production which is very clean. In fact the production of the panels are also clean but they require a large about of energy investment. A panels lifetime is 20 to 30 years of free energy.  The key is to bypass fossil fuels completely. Then if some genius invents a super efficient way to store electrons the use of electric cars would be far cheaper and greener.

Hybrids are a compromising transition between gas and electric cars. A hybrid has a liquid fuel generator which powers the cars electric motor. The design becomes efficient  for many reasons. The generator turns on only when needed and off at stop signs. Gasoline engines idle at stop signs burning fuel for nothing. A hybrid sits at a stop sign using zero energy, (except the radio). A hybrid also has the ability to convert braking into electrical current which recharges the battery when the car is coming to a stop or rolling down a hill.  

Hybrid generators are much more fuel efficient and have much less emissions than gasoline engines. A hybrids batteries may also be charging using solar panels on the roof. Some hybrid recharge batteries when parked at home while plugged into the electrical grid.

Keep asking good questions.

Answer 2

Electric cars run on electricity and produces less chemical harm than a gasoline car, an electric car also cost more. The gasoline cars releases C02 that poisons the air and is breaking down our O-zone that basically causes Global Warming.

Answer 3

Four electric motors (ideally) versus one gasoline engine.  ~

Answer 4

electric cars operate at high torque from 0 rpm from cold, so are a much better traction power source than infernal combustion. hence electric locamotives.

the Tesla www.teslamotors.com, only has 7 moving parts in the powertrain. electric is more powerful, more efficient, simpler, lower maintenance, quieter, smoother.

http://www.speedace.info/

gasoline cars rely on limited highly refined fuel source, but last century it was cheaper and more widly available than electric.

Answer 5

a you pretty much answered your question gas cars run on gas electric cars run on electricity battery not gas

Answer 6

gas is fast electric is slow charging . Gas is dirty electric is clean . Check out this site and get a free share what can it hurt you never know .( www.first-molecule.com ) Alternative fuel company

Answer 7

You want the short answer??  No I'm sure you know that one.

Well let me blab about gas cars CONVERTED to electric and I'll trust someone else to get the "new models" few though they be.  

  The comparrison is this: A gas car by its nature is excessive, even a wee little compact volkswagon.  It will always accelerate quicker, have a higher top speed, carry more weight, for more distance than most converted electrics EXCEPT...

  One of the big words in converted electrics is compromise.  If youre considering converting (since no company is trying that hard to make new) you realize that most driving habits dont need either spee, acceleration, capacity, range and that charge time is based on the components used in the car.  If you only drive 5 miles to work, possibly in town, do you NEED to be able to go 100mph? Most gas cars do anyways.  And as to speed next time your driving 20-30 miles away try it at 45mph instead of 60.  It really does only take a few minutes more and it can become one of the most relaxing drives you'll make.  

  Thats the big difference.  Electric drivers are willing to give a little up for something far better.  And battery life aside they may NEVER experience a major component repair give the robust nature of heavy electrical parts and motor lifespan.

CS

Answer 8

Gasoline cars produce exhaust and pollution where they are run.

Electric cars produce exhaust and pollution wherever the power plant that they are charged from is located.

Gasoline cars can be filled up at any gas station.

Electric cars have to be recharged, which takes longer than filling a gas tank and must be done more often, as well as in far fewer locations.

Gasoline cars have a useful life of hundreds of thousands of miles without any major part replacement.

Electric cars will require frequent battery change out.

Answer 9

Electric cars have electric engines and store their energy in batteries.

Gasoline cars have internal combustion (gasoline burning) engines and use the energy stored up in gasoline.

Answer 10

power!

Answer 11

Practically?  

Electric cars run on electricity that costs you about 3 cents a mile (if you charge at home; at work it'll probably be free).  Gas cars run on gas that costs you about 15 cents a mile.

Gas cars have to be driven to a special "gas station" for fueling. Electric cars can fuel anywhere there's a plug.

Gas cars can run for 200-300 miles between 10-minute stops to refuel.  Electric cars can run battery range, which is fine 90% of the time.  For the other 10%,  electrics have several choices:

- Stop and recharge, which takes anywhere from 2 minutes to 8 hours depending on the technology.

- Have a built-in engine that recharges the batteries as they drive. This makes it a hybrid.

- Have a tow-behind trailer with an engine that recharges the batteries as they drive, it's only used on long trips and could be rented.

The engine could be gas/pistons, diesel, turbine or fuel cell.

Gas cars generate CO2, HC, CO and NOX pollution where and as you drive.  Electric cars generate less pollution because power plants are much more efficient (and this more than makes up for transmission and conversion losses).  Pollution depends on the power plant:

Wind = none

Coal = CO2 and sulfur dioxide (acid rain)

Nuke = a heck of a waste disposal problem

Gas engines are extremely reliable for the first 150,000 miles, requiring only the replacement of a poor-quality lead-acid battery every 5 years or so, followed by increasingly expensive and vexing problems with the engine.   AC electric drive is mostly solid state.  It requires virtually no maintenance EVER, except for possible battery changes every 10-30 years.  EV batteries are MUCH higher quality than cheap car batteries, and early experience with the Prius is that they are going to last the life of the car.

I do not believe advanced electric cars will require compromise.  Plug-in hybrids will be especially nice, because they are a battery-electric car "most of the time" but also have a built-in recharging system for those occasional long trips.

Answer 12

Did you know that 100 years ago electric transportation out produced all vehicle manufacturing in the U.S.? It, electric cars with their E-MOTORS (not engines) have more torque than gas engines. Its true. tests and reports of races between a Corvette and a converted electric had the electric beating the Corvette in the first quarter mile from a standing start. Compared to the danger from possible high explosiveness of the gas operated car, the electric is a safer vehicle. The expense that others quote is depended on the utility company rates in certain districts. Clean air most means something!

Spartawo...

Answer 13

There are a number of differences.

One of the most important is that electric cars are much more exepnsive to operate than gasoline powered cars. The bateries are expensive and need to be changed every few years.

Depending on what your local utility charges you for electricity, the cost per mile for electricity is substantially higher than the cost of gasoline per mile.

Gasoline powered cars have a much longer range before they need to be refilled.

Unless you have the very latest technology, it take hours to recharge the batteries iin an electric car. It only takes minutes to refill the gas tank of a gasoline powered car.

An electric powered car tranfers the air pollution to the area in the vicinity of the  power plant where the elctricity is generated. A gasoline powered car pollutes the air in the vicinity of the car.

The electric powered car requires the use of large amounts of copper for the windings in the motors and tons of metals for the batteries.

All of these metals must be mined which also causes a great deal of pollution. Also, when the metals of the batteries are recycled  they cause more pollution.

Answer 14

One needs gas and the other doesn't?

Answer 15

Electric cars create less pollution than gasoline-powered cars, so they are an environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles (especially in cities).

Any news story about hybrid cars usually talks about electric cars as well.

Vehicles powered by fuel cells are electric cars, and fuel cells are getting a lot of attention right now in the news.

While gasoline engines are responsible for alot of air polution they 2 are becoming more fuel efficent.

Answer 16

The main difference is that electric cars don't pollute the atmosphere.

Answer 17

The electric car has a major advantage . If the electricity is produced by coal they have scrubbers in their chimney ,so most of the pollution is captured. The gasoline motor spews the pollutants direct into the air. So the electric car should produce about 10% of a gas motor.