Are electric cars safe? The answer depends on which kind of car you’re considering. Fuel-injected vehicles tend to have higher mileage, but the price of gasoline can cost more than that of electricity. Despite the cost difference, electric cars are still less expensive to operate and own. In addition, they’re much more eco-friendly – since they don’t use fuel, they don’t have a tailpipe.
Fuel cell cars
Unlike diesel vehicles, fuel cell cars don’t use catalytic converters. Instead, hydrogen and oxygen are combined and converted into water. The water is then used as fuel and flows through the fuel cell to produce electricity. It’s the same process that happens in a hydrogen fuel cell but the metals are different. Fuel cell cars use six to eight grams of platinum instead of the typical two to eight grams of platinum found in catalytic converters.
Motorcycles
Like a car’s catalytic converter, a motorcycle’s has a similar component, but in an entirely different place. It is found near the exhaust pipes, just before the expansion chamber. A catalytic converter works by limiting the amount of toxic gasses emitted into the atmosphere, using redox processes. A reduction catalyst, made of platinum and Rhodium, works to convert nitrogen oxides into harmless carbon dioxide.
Pure electric cars
The exhaust produced by internal combustion engine vehicles is full of harmful gases like carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide. In order to prevent these gases from causing health problems, car manufacturers have developed catalytic converters that help convert these gasses to less harmful forms. Pure electric cars do not have any catalytic converters, as they rely on electricity instead of gasoline. While electric cars do not produce emissions, they are more fuel efficient than conventional vehicles.
Plug-in hybrids
A plug-in hybrid’s catalytic converter can clean exhaust gases after 90 seconds. The earlier it is heated, the sooner the chemical reactions begin. This is because modern plug-in hybrids can emit toxic pollutants for several minutes after a cold start. That could lead to a pollution problem in the EU within a few years. Therefore, it’s important to warm the catalytic converter before the combustion engine starts.
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Your Ford Fusion Hybrid has catalytic convertors to reduce exhaust emissions. This part of the car is also used in hybrid vehicles, which are more environmentally friendly. Catalytic converters can be quite expensive to replace, so it is important to keep them in good working order. Fortunately, your car has diagnostic tools built right in. These tools will ask you for information such as your car’s make, model, and year to give you an accurate reading.
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