Electric car
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For hybrid cars, see Hybrid vehicle and Plug-in Hybrid.
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| Energy conservation |
| Renewable energy |
| Sustainable transport |
The first electric cars appeared in the 1880s.[1] Electric cars were popular in the late 19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass production of cheaper gasoline vehicles led to a decline in the use of electric drive vehicles. The energy crises of the 1970s and 1980s brought a short-lived interest in electric cars; although, those cars did not reach the mass marketing stage, as is the case in the 21st century. Since 2008, a renaissance in electric vehicle manufacturing has occurred due to advances in battery and power management technologies, concerns about increasing oil prices, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[2][3] Several national and local governments have established tax credits, subsidies, and other incentives to promote the introduction and adoption in the mass market of new electric vehicles depending on battery size and their all-electric range.
Benefits of electric cars over conventional internal combustion engine automobiles include a significant reduction of local air pollution, as they do not emit tailpipe pollutants,[4] in many cases, a large reduction in total greenhouse gas and other emissions (dependent on the fuel and technology used for electricity generation[2][3]), and less dependence on foreign oil, which in several countries is cause for concern about vulnerability to oil price volatility and supply disruption.[2][5][6] Widespread adoption of electric cars faces several hurdles and limitations, however, including the higher cost of electric vehicles, the lack of recharging infrastructure (other than home charging) and range anxiety, the driver's fear of the batteries running out of energy before reaching their destination due to the limited range of most existing electric cars.[2][3]
As of January 2014, the number of mass production highway-capable all-electric passenger cars and utility vans available in the market is limited to about 25 models, mainly in the United States, Japan, Western European countries and China. Pure electric car sales in 2012 were led by Japan with a 28% market share of global sales, followed by the United States with a 26% share, China with 16%, France with 11%, and Norway with 7%.[7] The world's top selling highway-capable electric car ever is the Nissan Leaf, released in December 2010 and sold in 35 countries, with global sales of 100,000 units by mid January 2014, representing a 45% market share of worldwide pure electric vehicles sold since 2010.[8][9]
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