Electricity

Because the transportation industry is responsible for using 70% of all crude oil produced, there has been great effort in the last two decades to produce an electric vehicle capable of performance similar to that of petroleum powered vehicles. While there are major obstacles to overcome, recent advances have seen mileage ranges increased from less than 100 to well over 200 miles. The major factors holding back the mainstream production of electric vehicles are the cost of batteries, the production and recycling of batteries, and the time that it takes to charge a battery. In other words, the only thing holding back electric vehicles is how they store electricity when the vehicle is not in use. A cheap, efficient, reliable alternative to current batteries would make electric vehicles instantly practical.

Many proponents of electric powered vehicles point to hybrid vehicles as the logical bridge between petroleum vehicles and vehicles that rely 100% upon electricity. Hybrid vehicles offer the benefits of unlimited mileage obtained from gasoline while increasing fuel economy through the employment of electric motors as well. These hybrid vehicles are slowly but surely progressing from a disproportionate amount of reliance on petroleum to increased reliance on electricity through techniques like adding solar panels, regenerative braking, and plug-in capabilities (allowing them to be charged through the electrical grid rather than by running their petrol motors).

It is worth pointing out that while electric vehicles can reduce petroleum use, the source of electricity used to charge their batteries is of critical importance. If that energy does not come from clean, renewable resources, then the problem is simply being shifted from one location to another and is not being solved. Proponents are clear that the success of electric vehicles also depends upon the implementation of renewable resources for the generation of the majority of electricity. Technologies like solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal are all being investigated and have met with various levels of success throughout different regions of the world.

Conclusion

What is clear about petroleum is that it will continue to play a large role in our lives in the near to medium term future. While technologies are being invented to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, it will be several decades before they become commonplace and affordable. Some of the major car manufacturers across the world estimate that it will be at least 2025 before electric vehicles are competitive in terms of cost and performance with petroleum powered vehicles.

Even if the world switched to an energy source independent of petroleum, one must not forget the fact that petroleum is an integral part of modern life in terms of the things it is used to make beyond gasoline and other fuels. Objects as diverse as plastics, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics use various aspects of petroleum as foundations in chemical reactions. In fact, our tremendous reliance on petroleum for manufacturing and not for fuel is all the more reason to be conservative about simply burning it to drive across town.