An electric car uses an engine to produce power from electricity. It does not burn gasoline, so it emits fewer toxic exhaust particles and is quieter than traditional vehicles. Electric cars are growing in popularity as they become more affordable and easier to drive. They can be charged at home or at public charging stations and have a longer range than conventional cars. Some governments offer incentives to encourage the purchase of EVs, including tax credits or lower registration fees.

Electrified trains are one of the earliest examples of an electric vehicle. They used a small electrical motor to run on DC current that ran from overhead lines. During the 1800s, the Swiss and others made extensive use of such locomotives for coal transport.

Exploring the Future: The Rise of the Electric Car

In 1908, Edison’s nickel-iron batteries gave the Detroit Electric a range of about 40 miles, but at the time they were 10 times as expensive as gas-powered cars. Electric cars did not gain a foothold in America until World War II, when fuel became scarce and cheap. British drivers rode electric “milk floats” for home delivery until the 1970s, and Japan maintained a fleet of electric “tzero” models into the 1990s.

GM’s EV1 of 1996-98 was the first mass-market electric car, and its failure helped fuel a film called Who Killed the Electric Car? But as the movie and the real-life EV1 experience proved, it was not just automobile manufacturers but also the oil industry, batteries, charging standards, and consumers who limited electric car adoption. Now, lithium-ion battery technology has brought a renewed push for EVs, and McKinsey projects that the worldwide market for them could grow sixfold from 2021 through 2030.