Electric cars are more beneficial to the environment than gas cars because of lower carbon dioxide emissions and over time cost. An electric vehicle is powered by an electric motor that extracts electricity from the battery. While a gas car’s motor is powered by the spark of an ignition interior combustion engine. 

Electric vehicles started to become more popular from 2008 to 2010. Some of the most popular electric vehicles are Tesla’s Roadster, the Chevy Volt, and the Nissan Electric Leaf. However, in the year 2021, there was a significant increase of 72 percent in sales of electric vehicles.  There has been a total of around 4.8 million plug-in electric vehicles that have been sold just in the United States.

A typical gas vehicle emits around 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, while an electric vehicle produces around 1.9 tons of carbon dioxide. If more people would change to electric-powered vehicles then we could cut our carbon emissions in half. Carbon emissions cause warming of the planet and climate change. Climate change causes certain habitats of animals and plants to decrease or change and affects our weather patterns. 

For example, this year there has been little to no snow in our area, and it is due to climate change. Because the temperatures are going up more each season, the more the chances of cooler temperatures or snow decreases. Fossil fuels that are being burned accumulate in excess, slowing down the process of carbon dioxide exiting our atmosphere. 

When it comes to manufacturing gas-powered cars, they produce more carbon emissions. Even if manufacturing electric vehicle batteries produces more emissions than a gas-powered vehicle, they make up for it long term by not producing the same amount of emissions, not using gas, and lasting longer on the road. 

When it comes to one’s budgeting, an electric vehicle is significantly better when it comes to monthly expenses. On average per month, people usually spend $150 to 200 on gas every month. An electric-powered vehicle only costs on average around $60 a month which is around three times less than a gas-powered vehicle. 

Sophomore Kiki Quinteros said, “I think they would be better because they cause less carbon dioxide emissions. For people’s budget they are more expensive than a gas car, but for the long term, they do save you money.”  

Overall electric cars have a more positive impact on the environment due to the comparison of carbon dioxide emissions and over time budgeting.