Module 5

Student Name

IND101 Milestone 5 Template

Introduction paragraph (approx. 150–200 words):

In the year 2016, Americans purchased approximately 17.5 million vehicles; less than 1% of these sales were electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Meanwhile, other nations, like China and Norway, have eclipsed the United States in electric vehicle market share (Sperling, 2018). There is no doubt from the international scientific community that carbon emissions from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles contribute significantly to climate change, and that electric vehicles represent a viable strategy to curb the automotive industry’s negative impact on the environment. Why then do electric vehicle sales still lag in the United States and what can be done to increase sales? The US government should increase the incentives for the production and consumption of electric cars because the United States is falling behind other nations in market share of electric cars, they are still too expensive for most consumers, and research demonstrates that electric cars are effective at reducing carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change.

Outline:

I. Supporting Point 1

A. Topic sentence: The United States, once a world leader in automotive innovation, is quickly falling behind other nations in electric vehicle market share.

B. Supporting detail: The largest EV market is China, with more than half of the world’s EV sales (Sperling, 2018).

C. Supporting detail: European Parliament and EU set 2020 targets for EVs and charging stations in all EU member states (Noori & Tatari, 2016).

II. Supporting Point 2

A. Topic sentence: However, the biggest hurdle to the United States keeping pace with global trends on electric vehicle consumption is the cost for consumers.

B. Supporting detail: [Continue adding paraphrased information or quotations from your sources as supporting details as in the examples above.]

C. Supporting detail:

III. Supporting Point 3

A. Topic sentence:

B. Supporting detail:

C. Supporting detail:

IV. Countering Opposing Perspectives

A. Topic sentence: Some researchers have argued that the shift from traditional vehicles to electric vehicles should be slowed, not quickened, because of their potentially harmful effects on the environment.

B. Supporting detail: Electric vehicles are powered by batteries charged by electricity, so some argue that the benefits of EVs are lessened because of the pollution caused by the “dirty, coal-fired power plant” needed to create the energy (Sperling, 2018).

C. Refuting detail: However, as we move away from coal toward renewable energy like wind and solar power or nuclear energy, this negative effect is eliminated. For example, “in France, where most electricity comes from nuclear power, the environmental benefits are enormous” (Sperling, 2018).

V. Conclusion

A. Review central ideas presented in body and make connection to thesis: It is clear from the research that a transition to electric vehicles will significantly reduce carbon emissions and contribute positively toward the global fight against climate change. However, in order to facilitate this transition, the US government needs to increase production and consumption incentives for electric vehicles since the US is falling behind other nations in its market share of EVs, and American consumers are slow to shift from traditional vehicles because of the cost.

B. Closing thoughts: Climate change is a serious, global challenge affecting all of humankind, and every step toward the transition to electric vehicles is a step in the right direction.

References

Li, C., Cao, Y., Zhang, M., Wang, J., Liu, J., Shi, H., & Geng, Y. (2015). Hidden benefits of electric vehicles