Image of an electric car charging at a station

Illustration by Juliette Toma

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Will Electric Cars Save the World?

You plug in your computer. You plug in your phone. It may not be long before your family plugs in its car too (if you don’t already!). Read on to find out why experts say this is so important for our planet.

February 2023

by Michelle Crouch

Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

The "Frunk"
Many EVs have storage in the front trunk. Why? They don’t need space for a big engine!

Picture this: You push a button. Your car pulls out of its parking spot. It comes to where you’re standing. You drop your backpack in the “frunk”—the front trunk—and hop in. Then you drive 250 miles or more without a drop of gas.

Does that sound like some crazy car from the future? It’s not! It’s the Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle. More than a million have already been sold.

Tesla is probably the most famous company that makes electric vehicles, or EVs. They use electricity instead of gasoline. You plug them in to power them up. These cars are quiet, comfortable, and very fast.

Many people believe EVs are the cars of the future. They might also be one of the best ways we can fight global warming and save our planet. But only about 1 out of every 100 vehicles on the road in the U.S. right now are electric. What will it take to get people to make the switch?

Picture this: You push a button. Your car drives to you. You put your backpack in the “frunk.” (That’s a front trunk.) Then you get in. You drive 250 miles or more. You use no gas.

Is this a car from the future? No! It’s the Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle. More than a million have been sold.

Tesla is a famous company. It makes electric vehicles, or EVs. They use electricity instead of gasoline. To power them up, you plug them in. These cars are quiet and comfortable. They are also very fast.

Many people think EVs are the cars of the future. They are also one of the best ways to fight global warming and save our planet. But only about 1 out of every 100 vehicles in the U.S. are electric. What will get more people to switch to electric?

Picture this: You push a button. Your car pulls out of its parking spot and comes to where you’re standing. You drop your backpack in the “frunk”—a front trunk—and hop in. Then you drive 250 miles or more without a drop of gas.

Does that sound like some crazy car from the future? It’s not! It’s the Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle—and more than a million have already been sold.

Tesla is probably the most famous company that makes electric vehicles, or EVs. These cars—which use electricity instead of gasoline—are quiet, comfortable, and very fast. To power them up, you just plug them in.

Many people believe EVs are the cars of the future. In addition, they are one of the best ways we can fight global warming and save our planet. But only about 1 out of every 100 vehicles on the road in the U.S. right now are electric. What will it take to get more people to make the switch?

PAUSE AND THINK: What are electric vehicles, or EVs?

The Problem With Gas

Electric vehicles aren’t new. The first ones hit the road in the U.S. in 1891. In the early 1900s, there were actually more electric cars than gas-powered ones. But then gas-powered cars improved and gas got cheaper. So gas-powered cars took over.

For many years, no one knew how much damage gas was causing the planet. Every time you drive in a gas-powered car, it releases tiny particles. Invisible gas spews into the air. That’s air pollution.

Air pollution from vehicles is America’s No. 1 source of the gases that cause global warming. It can also cause diseases like asthma. Every year, more than 50,000 Americans die sooner than they should from breathing in air pollution.

Electric vehicles aren’t new. The first ones came out in 1891. In the early 1900s, there were more electric cars than gas-powered ones. But then gas-powered cars improved. Gas got cheaper too. So gas-powered cars took over.

For many years, no one knew how much damage gas was causing. When you drive a gas-powered car, it releases tiny particles. Invisible gas spews into the air. That’s air pollution.

Today, in the U.S., cars and other vehicles are the top source of the gases that cause global warming. Air pollution can also cause diseases like asthma. Every year, dirty air causes more than 50,000 early deaths in the U.S.

Electric vehicles aren’t new. The first ones hit the road in 1891, and there were actually more electric cars than gas-powered ones in the early 1900s. But when gas-powered cars improved and the price of gasoline dropped, gas-powered cars took over.

For many years, no one realized how much damage gas was causing the planet. Every time you drive in a gas-powered car, it releases tiny particles. The invisible gas that spews into the air is air pollution.

Air pollution from vehicles is now America’s No. 1 source of the gases that cause global warming. It can also cause diseases like asthma. Every year, more than 50,000 Americans die sooner than they should as a result of breathing in air pollution.

PAUSE AND THINK: In what ways are gas-powered cars harmful?

Today’s Electric Cars

EVs came back in a big way in the 2010s. Almost every car company has an EV now. You can even get a plug-in pickup truck! The new cars have better batteries. Many EVs can go 200 miles or more on one charge. And EVs don’t pollute the air since they don’t run on gas.

But EVs aren’t perfect. For one thing, they still cost more than gas-powered vehicles. It can also be tricky to take them on a long trip. Some areas of the country don’t have a lot of charging stations. What if you run out of power in one of those areas and get stuck?

Another problem is the time it takes to charge EVs. With a regular car, you just stop at a gas station. You can fill the tank in five minutes. The fastest EV chargers still take 25 to 60 minutes to power up a car fully.

In the 2010s, EVs made a comeback. Today, almost every car company has an EV. You can even get a plug-in pickup truck! The new cars have better batteries. Many EVs can go 200 miles or more on one charge. And EVs don’t run on gas. So they don’t pollute the air.

But EVs aren’t perfect. For example, they cost more than gas-powered vehicles. Also, a long trip can be tricky with an EV. Some parts of the country don’t have many charging stations. What if you run out of power in one of those areas?

Another problem is that it takes time to charge EVs. You can fill a gas tank in five minutes. But the fastest EV chargers take 25 to 60 minutes to power up a car.

EVs came back in a big way in the 2010s. Almost every car company now has an EV. You can even get a plug-in pickup truck! The new cars have better batteries, allowing many EVs to go 200 miles or more on one charge. And EVs don’t pollute the air since they don’t run on gas.

But EVs aren’t perfect. For starters, they still cost more than gas-powered vehicles. It can also be tricky to use them for a long trip because some areas of the country don’t have a lot of charging stations. What if you need to power up in one of those areas and can’t find a station?

The time it takes to charge EVs is another problem. You can stop at a gas station and fill a regular car’s tank in 5 minutes, but even the fastest EV chargers still take 25 to 60 minutes to fully power up a car.

PAUSE AND THINK: What are two problems with EVs?

Good News

The good news is that leaders are taking steps to get more people to buy EVs. In the United States, you can often get up to $7,500 back from the government for buying an EV. Some states are even banning the sale of gas-powered cars starting in 2035.

The government is also building charging stations across the country. It plans to add half a million by 2030. That will make it easier to find a charging station and cheaper to power up.

Some car companies are doing their part too. Volvo says they’ll stop selling gas-powered cars by 2030. GM says they’ll do it by 2035. And as more electric cars get made, prices should go down. Once you own an electric car, you save money. You don’t have to pay for gas, oil changes, or most of the maintenance that gas cars need.

Experts predict that more than half of the new cars sold in the U.S. will be electric by the year 2030. Will yours be one of them?

Here’s the good news: Leaders are working to get more people to buy EVs. In the U.S., the government might give you up to $7,500 for buying an EV. Some states are banning the sale of gas-powered cars starting in 2035.

Also, the government is building charging stations across the country. It plans to add half a million by 2030. Then it will be easier to find a charging station.

Some car companies are doing their part too. Volvo says they’ll stop selling gas-powered cars by 2030. GM says they’ll do it by 2035. Prices should also go down. And once you own an electric car, you save money. You don’t have to pay for gas, oil changes, or most of the maintenance that gas cars need.

Experts predict that most of the new cars sold in the U.S. will be electric by the year 2030. Will yours be one of them? •

The good news is that leaders are taking steps to get more people to make the switch to EVs. In the United States, you can often get up to $7,500 back from the government for buying an EV. Some states are even banning the sale of gas-powered cars starting in 2035.

The government is also building charging stations across the country and plans to add half a million by 2030. That will make it easier to find a charging station—and cheaper to power up.

Some car companies are doing their part too. Volvo says they’ll stop selling gas-powered cars by 2030, and GM plans to do the same by 2035. Also, prices should go down as more electric cars get made. Once you own one, you save money by not having to pay for gas, oil changes, or most of the maintenance that gas cars need.

Experts predict that more than half of the new cars sold in the U.S. will be electric by the year 2030. Will yours be one of them?