Electric cars; Eco-Friendly

BY VARUN SAVARA
The infrastructure for electric cars is improving in Portland.Electric Cars are good transportation alternatives to fuel powered cars and do not pollute the environment with carbon dioxide. Plus, they are much cheaper than gas powered vehicles.

Portland plans to install 500 electric car-charging stations by next year in preparation of the release of more electric cars. The idea is that if people are more comfortable with electric cars, more people will drive them.

When fully charged, electric cars get between 25 to 100 miles compared to a gas powered car, which can get 300 miles or more on a full tank. The lack of recharging stations makes driving an electric car a problem. People can recharge their car at home, but if they are on the go and need to recharge their vehicle they are, in most cases, out of luck. There are currently less than 30 charging stations in Portland.

The U.S. Department of Energy is providing $400 Million in funding to develop the electric car infrastructure in the U.S.

This is a good initiative. Installing the charging stations will create jobs, and if the electric cars do take off it will be much better for the environment.

Also, it is better on the consumer. the cost of a full charge is much cheaper than the price of a full tank.

The electric car is useful for day-to-day tasks. One charge would get most people to work and back or to the store and back.

However, electric cars take time to charge. Some of the electric vehicles can reach full charging capacity in 3.5 hours, but others can take up to 8 hours.

Overall, electric cars are a good idea. They are good for the environment and reduce dependence on oil. However, if they take too long to charge when people are on the go then it may be problematic. If the number of charging stations increases then people may be far less worried about becoming stranded.

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