☯ Concept Cartoons ☯
Table of Contents
1 Chemistry Redox 5 - Should we use electric cars?
Have you talked about your ideas? Do you agree with any of the characters or do you think something different? Do you all have the same ideas? Here are some ways of finding out more. Find some information about electric cars. Use more than one source to get a range of views. Make a table to show the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars compared to other cars. Talk about your table. What advice would you give to someone who wants to buy a car? Are there any other types of cars that don’t have to be filled with fossil fuels to work?
Here’s what a scientist might say. Did you find any evidence to support or justify these ideas? Are there any questions that you still need to answer? Electric cars need electricity, and the electricity they need has to be generated somewhere. If the electricity is made using fossil fuels, then it produces pollution and greenhouse gases at the power station. Generating electricity and sending it through wires to towns and cities is not very efficient. If the electricity is made using renewable sources of energy then this makes electric cars much better for the environment. All cars need energy and resources to build them, and this has an impact on the environment too. If electric cars are charged at night, when electricity demand is low, this can help by using spare electricity generating capacity, since turning power stations on and off is very inefficient. Electric cars do produce pollution and greenhouse gases, but less than other cars do. Imagine you have a lot of money to invest in local public transport. What forms of transport would you invest the money in, and why? Do others agree with you?