By: Tim Setterfield
Everyone wants to shrink their carbon footprint. As people across the globe become more aware of the problems created by climate change, more individuals and organizations are making choices that help reduce their environmental impact. One eco-friendly invention that has exploded in popularity over the last decade is the electric vehicle.
Electric Vehicles: the Basics
Today, all types of vehicles—from motorbikes ridden on country dirt roads to luxury sedans that require the best car insurance—are being made with electric engines. Many cars now use electric motors, from luxury European vehicles to low-cost budget crossovers. For a long time, electric cars have been too pricey for wide adoption with the public. However, electric motor technology is getting more affordable. Soon, you’ll be able to find electric motors in even the cheapest budget cars that require the cheapest car insurance.
Electric cars (and other electric vehicles for consumers) are a green option for discerning drivers because they don’t require gasoline to run. Instead, they’re powered by plugging into an electrical socket that charges the car’s battery. Electric cars allow drivers to avoid purchasing gasoline (a limited resource whose acquisition harms the environment), plus they don’t produce any emissions. Thus, electric cars pollute the air far less than gas-powered and hybrid cars. They also create less ozone—an invisible pollutant—when running. This is beneficial because ozone kills vegetation—and vegetation is one of the Earth’s most potent weapons for combatting carbon emissions.
Thanks to their increasing affordability (and a worldwide increase in concern about the environment), electric vehicles are becoming more and more commonplace. As the costs of electric cars go down, consumers no longer need to regularly purchase gas for their cars. Drivers continue to have access to cheap car insurance, and electric cars may become the most affordable motorized way to get around the world.
As a result of their affordability, electric cars are also likely to become the most popular vehicle on the road. Their popularity with consumers is already evident. Research shows that more than 2.4 million plug-in electric vehicles have been sold to consumers in America since 2010. The U.S. government has pushed for the electric car, with the White House issuing an executive order declaring that half of all vehicle sales in the U.S. should be electric by 2030. By then, electric vehicles will likely be available in all price ranges. From luxury to budget cars, even the cheapest car insurance options will be able to protect cars that you must plug in to juice up.
Motorsports: The Basics
If you’re a fan, you already know that motorsports are not one single sport. It’s a class of competitive sports that uses motorized vehicles for competition. Motorsports can include cars, motorcycles, race karts, quads, and more. In the past, people have paid attention to these sports because the vehicles can go fast and often have loud engines. People passionate about motorsports usually like to drive motor-powered cars and watch professional drivers race and maneuver them in spectacular displays of skill and prowess. These fans, in the past, have also loved gas-powered, loud cars. Since the creation of pro motorsports, engines have primarily been powered by gasoline and diesel fuel, and electric vehicles have been scarce.
Everyday Drivers and Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles are becoming mainstream with the regular American driver. They will soon be a type of vehicle that you’ll regularly see on the street and in parking lots. Whether you’re a person who can afford the best cars or not, everyone will likely have access to an affordable electric vehicle soon. Based on the current adoption rate and governmental push, experts can tell that electric cars will someday replace gas-powered and hybrid cars. So, the future looks bright for those worldwide who’ve welcomed and seamlessly adopted electric vehicle technology to help make a positive impact on the environment.
Going Fast and Going Green: The Future of Motorsports is Electric
The governmental efforts and the push of environmental activists are not the only people influencing the takeover of the electric engine. Motorsports pros are also helping this happen.
The shift to electric cars has not been straightforward for motorsports enthusiasts or competitors. Electric vehicles significantly alter many things people love about motorsports, particularly car racing. Not only are racecar drivers plugging in cars to power up instead of refueling. They’re also driving quiet vehicles that don’t have exhaust coming out of the back of them.
However, the cultural shift to electric has undoubtedly caught on in motorsports. Two years ago, Formula E, a competition for only electric cars, was named an official championship of FIA. Toyota and Ford have also created their own electric vehicles specifically for motorsports and racing, and they are now used by racing teams worldwide.
While it’s not clear that shifting motorsports to electric will significantly impact the environment, it’s a clever tactic by activists. They know that the adoption of the electric car by regular, everyday drivers who want cheap car insurance and a way to get around is crucial. This widespread adoption could have a significant positive impact on pollution, levels of carbon emissions, and gasoline consumption.
The pros in motorsports usually determine what is “cool” regarding vehicles and driving. By introducing electric power to the professional racing world, innovators have made it a more widely embraced invention with the public. One that will only continue to grow in popularity as it is featured by motorsports pros.
In addition to helping proliferate electric vehicles by featuring them in races, the motorsports industry is also helping to develop technology that could change the world. When there are motorsports races where electric cars have to go as fast as possible to entertain the crowd (and win the race), car companies have to continue working on electric motor technology that will go really fast—and then even faster. This research and experimentation have led to incredible developments in electric motor technology that will impact far beyond the racecar track. By shifting to the electric vehicle, the motorsports industry may be the answer to saving the world (quite literally).