As technological advancements intensify climate change in the modern world, eco-friendly cars are gaining attention to reduce environmental pollution. Hybrid and hydrogen-fueled cars have the potential to contribute to solving the problem of air pollution and greenhouse gases, but they require government support and a change in public perception.
The advancement of technology in the modern world has brought us many conveniences, but it has also contributed to global warming and climate change. While many efforts are being made to protect the environment, excessive resource consumption and pollutant emissions remain a serious problem around the world. As a result, there is an urgent need to develop technologies to reduce pollution from automobiles, industry, livestock, and other sectors.
In this context, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan made an interesting claim: “About 80% of air pollution comes from carbon dioxide from plants, so there is no need to set overly strict emission standards for resources used by humans,” he said, emphasizing the importance of natural carbon dioxide emissions. However, Reagan nonetheless emphasized the need for the world to reduce emissions of not only carbon dioxide but also a variety of other harmful pollutants in order to preserve the environment. His remarks reveal a somewhat complex view of the causes and solutions to pollution, sparking a debate about how both nature and humans contribute to pollution.
Among the various sources of pollution, automobiles are now being recognized as having a major impact on the environment. The internal combustion engine of a car burns fuel and emits pollutants such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air, causing air pollution. This leads to smog in cities with dense traffic, posing a direct threat to people’s health. Environmentalists have been looking for ways to reduce pollution, and hybrid vehicles have emerged as a promising alternative.
How hybrid cars work and their benefits
Hybrid cars combine an electric motor with an internal combustion engine, which was developed to improve energy consumption efficiency and reduce emissions. The electric motor is used primarily for low-speed or city driving, while the internal combustion engine is used for longer distances. This reduces fuel consumption and minimizes emissions. In particular, hybrid cars have the ability to automatically shut down the engine when stopped, reducing unnecessary fuel waste. These technical characteristics make hybrid cars a fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative.
For example, the electric motor in a hybrid car saves gasoline by harnessing energy when the vehicle starts and stops. While traveling on the road, the electric motor recharges the battery, and above a certain speed, the internal combustion engine provides the main power. Thanks to this mechanism, fuel efficiency is significantly better than that of a conventional internal combustion engine car. On average, hybrid cars save 20-30% of fuel compared to conventional cars, which has a positive impact on the environment.
Hybrid cars are also effective at reducing carbon emissions. While a typical gasoline-powered car emits about 2.38 kilograms of carbon dioxide per liter, hybrid cars use less fuel, which means fewer carbon dioxide emissions. Electric cars in particular are being touted as completely zero-emission vehicles, but they still produce pollutants to generate electricity. Hybrid cars, on the other hand, are emission-free and can travel long distances, making them suitable for a variety of driving environments, both in and out of the city.
Hydrogen-fueled cars: the green alternative of the future
While hybrid cars are currently proliferating around the world, the eventual transition to more environmentally friendly hydrogen-fueled cars will be necessary. Hydrogen-fueled cars are zero-emission vehicles that use hydrogen as fuel and emit only water into the air. Because they use hydrogen as their energy source, they don’t rely on fossil fuels and emit very few pollutants into the air. Hydrogen-fueled vehicles are still in the early stages of development, but as the technology improves, they are likely to become the main form of transportation in the future.
Government role and policy proposals
Policy support from governments is essential to protect the environment and create a sustainable future. To promote the uptake of hybrid and hydrogen-fueled vehicles, governments can consider the following measures. First, they should provide tax breaks for hybrid car buyers and increase investment in battery and hydrogen fuel technology research. This will accelerate the development of new technologies and enable more consumers to purchase cleaner vehicles. Second, we should increase taxes on oil to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and use the resulting revenue shortfall to invest in infrastructure for clean energy production and distribution. Third, we need to build more electric vehicle charging stations and hydrogen refueling stations to make it easier to use cleaner vehicles.
Clean energy should also be utilized to generate electricity. Renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower, as well as cleaner sources such as natural gas and nuclear, can be used to generate electricity, making EVs a truly green transportation option. If we still use coal as the primary fuel to generate electricity, the environmental benefits of EVs will be largely offset.
Changing public perception for a sustainable future
Finally, changing public perception is also important for green technologies to be successful. People need to get involved in saving energy and reducing pollution in their daily lives, not just by choosing a green car. For example, taking public transportation instead of driving, reducing unnecessary consumption, and other small actions can make a big difference. Adopting green technologies may be costly in the short term, but in the long run, it’s an investment in the global environment and future generations.
