Electric Cars: Still a Viable Alternative?

In this age of wallet-pillaging gas prices, dire predictions of shrinking world oil reserves, and ugly car emissions that are feeding the global warming storm, the on-and-off idea of battery electric vehicles (BEV) is beginning to charge again.

Ironically, this so-called revolutionary concept that many believe first ignited in the 1990s actually dates back to the early 1800s. Robert Anderson of Scotland invented an electric carriage in the 1830s. By the 1880s, thanks to massive advancements in the storage capacity of car batteries, electric vehicles began to flourish in France and Great Britain.

Subsequent improvements culminated in 1899 when a Belgium-designed race car shocked the world by establishing a land speed record of 68 miles per hour.

Word of this snared the attention of the United States, and despite advancements in both gas- and steam-powered vehicles, it ignited a surge in electrical car production.

The cars were ideally suited for America in the early 1900s. Because maintained roads were limited to the interiors of major cities such as New York and Philadelphia, the electric cars' lack of range did not pose an immediate drawback.

Production peaked in 1912, but by the 1920s electric cars were considered obsolete. Henry Ford's mass assembly lines made gas-powered vehicles much more affordable for the general public (gas-powered cars sold for $650 while electric cars cost $1,750) and, with the advancement of roads, answered the need for vehicles that could cover long distances without needing to be recharged.

So, for almost 70 years the idea of electrical cars was filed away under "I" for "Improbable." But resuscitation came in the form of government legislation.

In 1990, Washington passed the Clean Air Act Amendment, which in its most basic interpretation, shook a fist at smog and other forms of atmospheric pollution.

This was accompanied in the same year by California's Zero Emission Vehicle Program, which as the name implies, was designed to impose zero emission standards on new vehicles. It was a groundbreaking measure of far-reaching scope that, despite several short-leash amendments, has since been adopted by many other states.

And two years later, it became the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which addressed national energy conservation standards and marked the first time Washington acknowledged the potential threat of global warming.

General Motors was the first major auto maker to answer the gong. Beginning in 1996, it began releasing the Generation 1 EV1 (Electrical Vehicle 1) in California and Arizona.

The vehicle, which featured a lead-acid battery, was strictly a commuter car. It averaged 55 to 95 miles per charge and required about eight hours to recharge.

In 1998, General Motors launched the Generation 2 EV1. This updated version included a nickel plate hydride battery, stretching the miles per charge up to 150 miles.

Despite high-five praise from the few who were lucky enough to lease these cars (the EV1s weren't available for purchase), General Motors cancelled its EV1 program in 2003 under the charge that the cars were too expensive to manufacture.

This reason has since been disputed by many who claim the company purposely monkeywrenched the program in order to prove that electric cars weren't practical. A recent documentary, Who Killed the Electric Car, is especially critical of General Motor's decision.

But, General Motors was not the only company to produce and then pull the plug on these cars. During the late 1990s, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Chevrolet, and Nissan also rolled out battery electric vehicles, but most have since been hauled off the roads.

Despite this setback, many car industry officials still harbor great hope for the electric car. The popularity of hybrid vehicles has spurred state-of-the-art advances in engines, model designs, and batteries, which bodes very well for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids (cars that offer an external electrical battery charge option).

Japanese automakers are especially amped about the future. Mitsubishi is blueprinting a vehicle that is a variation of the Colt minivan. It's expected to employ lithium ion batteries, in-wheel electric motors, and boast a driving range of 93 miles.

In light of exploding gas prices, rumors abound that Subaru is feverishly brainstorming a battery-electric version of its highly popular R1 model. And, others say that Toyota is close to releasing a Prius plug-in hybrid.

Also, Hymotion and Edrive Systems, in conjunction with the California Cars Initiative, are adding more battery capacity to the Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape, thus converting them into plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

A future still exists for battery electric cars. The lone problem is time of development. Most of the above-mentioned cars should hit the U.S. market within the next two years, but in a very limited capacity. So, just like for the hybrid vehicles, expect a long waiting list.

But, the limited availability could quickly change if current gas prices continue to assault wallets. Auto makers tend to respond to buyer demands. And if the public begins clamoring for energy-efficient vehicles, look for BEVs to begin filtering into the market at a faster pace than ever before.