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1912 ad for a Detroit Electric carElectric cars were developed in Europe throughout the 19th century, and by the United States toward the late 1890s and early 1900s. American companies like Baker and Edison produced popular electric cars at the turn of the century that lacked the range of gasoline-powered cars, yet outsold them. -
REVA electric carREVA, based in India, is currently the world's biggest electric car manufacturer, although its cars are mostly found in India and Europe. By 2010, vehicles from other companies, such as the Aptera 2 Series and Mitsubishi i MiEV will be commercially available. - There are only a handful of electric cars that can achieve speeds greater than 60 mph. The Nissan EV-02, currently in prototype form, is one of the few that can. REVA models top out around 50 mph, while other electric cars are only suitable for neighborhood, with a speed around 25 to 30mph.
- Pure electric cars do not have an internal combustion engine. Hybrid vehicles have both an electric motor and a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine that allows the car to run after its electric charge has been depleted.
- While lithium ion and lithium ion polymer are popular batteries for electric cars, there is a wide range of battery types for today's electric cars. Other types of electric car batteries include nickel metal hydride and nickel-cadmium. Most electric car batteries have high cost issues, and must charge for hours on an electrical grid.
