时间:2025-04-26 17:45:55 来源:网络整理编辑:知識
For the first time in 34 years, the price of a barrel of oil has dropped to historic lows — be
For the first time in 34 years, the price of a barrel of oil has dropped to historic lows — below $0 somehow, confusingly — but that shouldn't erode efforts to go electric, especially for any future car purchases.
Sure, because of coronavirus social-distancing measures in most cities and states, roads are largely empty, cars are parked, most flights are canceled, and the buses and trains that are still running barely have passengers. Even auto insurance companies are recognizing how little we're moving and offering discounts.
Right now, the idea of buying a car may seem strange and unnecessary. But with the average price of gas down to less than $2 per gallon in the U.S., once cities start opening up we'll be back to many of our old ways. We'll revert to driving again, perhaps even more so with lingering fears of coronavirus exposure on public transit and because it'll feel cheap to burn through miles. But air quality improvements from the past month indicate that we need to change. And what if these changes could become long-lasting?
Geotab, a data and analytics company that tracks vehicles, found that the impact of coronavirus on air pollution was noticeable across North America. Looking at cities before and after March 15, carbon emissions dropped across the board when social distancing started in earnest. In New York City alone, the average emission level was more than halved.
Even a slow return to our previous ways of getting around means most of the air quality improvements from the past month will be erased. Reconsidering electric options, even if they're more costly up front, is one way to help maintain some of these short-term gains for the planet. Electric cars won't erase the lasting damage we've done, but they could lighten our collective output longer term.
Think about it: Gas prices will eventually go back up, "refueling" a vehicle with electricity offers more price and availability stability, and climate change is still very much a thing. A month of limited global emissions doesn't change that.
In Milan, Italy, city officials are attempting to retain the environmental benefits of a shutdown city. A plan for reopening now includes more walking and cycling space to reduce car use within city limits.
The organization Securing America's Future Energy wrote in an email this week, "this negative price for [oil] is just a momentary event." Instead of relying on volatile, price-fluctuating oil, the U.S. should focus on a diversifying its energy sources.
Cruise, a self-driving car company back by General Motors, shared on Earth Day that its fleet of electric self-driving cars in San Francisco now relies entirely on renewable energy for charging. This makes going electric an even cleaner option. Some of that energy is from 12 solar projects at school campuses in Southern California.
Then there's this alarming stat, which Cruise cites: Gas-powered cars are six times more polluting than all-electric vehicles.
Just this week, General Motors announced solar and wind energy programs in Michigan, so in the next few years car factories can use only renewable energy sources to produce (hopefully more electric) cars.
Ben Prochazka, national director of the electric nonprofit organization Electrification Coalition, said in a phone call this week, "Whether you're a consumer, business, state, or a city, right now an electric vehicle and plugging into the grid gives you the greatest certainty of how much that's going to cost to operate."
SEE ALSO:Coronavirus won’t make a dent in the climate problemDuring the coronavirus pandemic, the ability to charge your car cheaply from your own home is also appealing. No more crowded, shared gas station pumps. ChargePoint electric charging network calculated how much charging on its network saved drivers in gas money in 2019. Even with charging costs, electric vehicle owners saved more than $51.6 million compared to gas-powered car owners.
So while the momentary allure of cheap gas fill-ups can be tempting, we should "strongly look at electric vehicles," Prochazka said. "This is the right time."
TopicsElectric Vehicles
New Zealand designer's photo series celebrates the elegance of aging2025-04-26 17:35
連續四場英超零封!曼聯戰勝西漢姆 重返積分榜第二2025-04-26 17:35
豪購三星切爾西揮淚甩賣 美國隊長大英帝星全不留2025-04-26 17:35
曝蘇寧賣人未在轉會費提要求 僅盼新東家補上拖欠獎金2025-04-26 17:33
Uber's $100M settlement over drivers as contractors may not be enough2025-04-26 17:29
崔康熙想要球員均加盟豪言爭冠 仍擔憂傷病問題2025-04-26 17:20
崔康熙想要球員均加盟豪言爭冠 仍擔憂傷病問題2025-04-26 17:00
西媒 :阿圭羅兩年合同免簽巴薩 與拉波爾塔達協議2025-04-26 16:32
This company is hiring someone just to drink all day2025-04-26 16:12
廣州隊三年頂薪難留徐新 暴力鳥未歸中場押寶何人?2025-04-26 15:09
Nancy Pelosi warns colleagues after info hacked2025-04-26 17:19
廣州隊大概率亮相揭幕戰 賽程編排通過專業軟件完成2025-04-26 17:04
意甲舊將:尤文是時候和C羅分手了 賣他有兩大好處2025-04-26 16:27
又一個八連勝 !國米繼續領跑 兩神奇換人改變比賽2025-04-26 16:22
Did our grandparents have the best beauty advice?2025-04-26 16:20
崔康熙想要球員均加盟豪言爭冠 仍擔憂傷病問題2025-04-26 16:14
杜佳發文告別津門虎:水滴助威聲是一生難忘的記憶2025-04-26 16:14
爭四懸了!孫興慜傷退 熱刺客場丟分+折損大將2025-04-26 16:13
These glasses hide a fitness tracker on your face2025-04-26 16:04
裏程碑戰通殺意甲18隊主場 C羅完美戴帽打臉名宿2025-04-26 15:49