In 2008, Tesla released its first electric car. The concept wasn’t very popular at the time but now in 2021, every major vehicle manufacturer seems to be interested in getting into the electric car market. But has the perception of electric vehicles changed?

The most obvious answer is that they are marketed as being a cleaner solution than traditional gas cars. However, while electric cars are marketed as a cleaner, there is quite a bit of debate over if they actually are better for the environment. There are pros and cons to electric cars. It’s not all good and it’s not all bad either.

Electric cars don’t produce gas emissions as they go down the road as your average gas car does. However, it does still use fossil fuels to charge. The majority of electricity in the United States still comes from coal and gas plants. While wind and solar energy are both becoming more popular, it will still be a long time before the grid is mostly powered by renewables.

Electric vehicles also use batteries that involve large quantities of lithium. Lithium mines are not the cleanest and lithium-based batteries are known to deteriorate over time. So far though it appears that most electric cars aren’t having an issue with battery deterioration, it may be a concern once they get older or if you’re buying a used electric vehicle.

The good news is that electric vehicles keep improving every year. The range has greatly increased with some cars being able to achieve around a 370-mile range on the higher end. Electric cars have gotten fast too. Some Tesla vehicles have a top speed of around 160 mph.

One future benefit of electric vehicles is that they could be used to power your home during an emergency. Audi is working on EVs that can act as large battery backups when the power goes out. When you take into consideration the winter storm that left many Texans without power in early 2021, this seems like a very beneficial idea.

While EVs are not perfect, they are getting better. It isn’t just the go green campaign that has made them popular, but the idea that these are the vehicles of the future. Electric vehicles are designed to look clean, appealing, and futuristic. Most have large touchscreen displays in the dash and boast about their technology inside. For tech enthusiasts or just those interested in something new, electric vehicles may be something to look into if you live in an area with enough charging stations.