Will Electric Vehicles Completely Replace Gas Vehicles? A Contemporary Perspective
Cars have not yet'completely]-'replaced the horse and buggy but are very close. By the time today's gas vehicles wear out, gas vehicles will be approaching 'horse and buggy' status. This perspective is informed by the rapid advancements in battery technology. Soon, battery electric cars will be cheaper than gas cars with batteries that are much faster charging and have a much longer range than today.
Comparatively Stagnant Gas Vehicles and the Arrival of Electric Alternatives
To answer this question, consider how many steam-powered cars you see on highways today. That's how out of date and out of improvability internal combustion (IC) cars are today. Sure, Jay Leno and some other car collectors will keep driving gas-powered cars out of pure nostalgia, just as they keep some of their old steam cars active.
The Legacy of Howard Hughes and His Steam Car
In the late 1920s, Howard Hughes, whom I used to work for in the 1960s, commissioned his engineers to build him a steam car that would beat any gasoline-powered car of its day. Howard owned the Doble Brothers E20 steam car that Jay Leno has in his collection today. However, Hughes had it Hot-Rodded to go much faster than Jay will ever drive it. When Jay got it, it had been restored to its original specifications, known for the 30-45 seconds it took to get enough steam pressure to begin driving away from a start.
The Doble brothers only built 41 cars in all, losing money on each of them, but the ones remaining are considered the best ever built and are owned only by the very rich. Stanley Steam cars of Newton, MA, were made in much larger numbers but were simpler by comparison. Gas cars were even simpler in some ways and started much faster than gasoline cars today. Gasoline cars are now more complicated, meeting environmental requirements and still conforming to the public’s expectations of performance. Like steam cars long ago, gas cars are slower to get fully ready to go, even with self-starting and automatic transmissions, needing to warm up to proper operating temperature before high-speed driving.
The Rise of Electric Vehicles and Future Projections
The electric has no starting at all before it is ready to move and can go full speed right from the start. Like a steam car, it has maximum torque at zero speed, but modern ones can reach top speeds that most gas car owners can only dream of. The batteries that once held electric cars back are now able to take almost any modern electric car further than any ordinary steam car could go on its water tank. As these batteries get better, electrics will exceed the range of gas tanks in most IC-engined cars.
The Future of Gasoline as a Fuel Source
While today you can find gasoline sold in all sorts of places, as electrics become more popular, that product will become as rare as steam oil purveyors are today. Steam cars needed lubricating oil mixed into the feedwater as well as a separate tank for the fuel that kept the boiler fire burning. If you could get your steam car moving from cold in less than 30 minutes, you were a rich man.
As battery technology continues to evolve, electric vehicles (EVs) are likely to become the norm. The innovations in both battery capacity and charging infrastructure will further solidify EVs' place ahead of gas vehicles. While some collectors and enthusiasts may continue to enjoy gas-powered vehicles for their nostalgia value, the practicality and environmental benefits of electric vehicles ensure a significant shift in the automotive landscape.