Hybrids versus Electrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hybrids versus Electrics - Essay Example   Even though the electric cars had low-speed limits, they still held numerous advantages over their gasoline counterparts including minimal noise emissions, and no vibrations and smells produced by engine combustions and rotations. Furthermore, an electric car driver did not need to change gears while driving like the gasoline car driver had to and as such, they were easier to drive. The electric cars were especially popular among city dwellers, especially the women who were targeted by the cars’ marketers citing its easiness in operation. The electric cars’ sales were initially impeded by the limited electricity infrastructure but this set back was overcome by 1912 when most homes had access to electricity, driving a surge in sales of the cars. This was also the year when the early electrics sales peaked (Leitman & Brant, 36).The 1913 invention of the starter that enabled gasoline cars to start with ease almost caused the extinction of the electric cars and steam au tomobiles. Sales in electric vehicles dropped sharply with the next six decades experiencing dormancy in their mass production as gasoline cars became the preferred choice. However, the 1970s Arab oil embargo created new interest in the cars and environmental concerns also played a significant role in boosting their production. Hybrids are also considered electric though they are not purely electric as they only run as electric at low speeds above which the vehicles operate just like ICE with the exception of their braking systems.