Electric automobiles are vehicles that derive their
power from electric motors. Many people may think that they are a
fairly new invention, when actually, some of the earliest automobiles
produced were already powered by electric motors that were fueled by
batteries. However, due to the rapid development of internal combustion
engines, electric vehicles were driven out of the market.

Electric
motor systems are environmentally friendly and emits less pollution
than combustion engines. They are also very energy-efficient. In fact,
75 percent of the energy stored in a battery reaches the wheels of an
automobile, while only 20 percent of the chemical energy derived from
gasoline is used by the wheels in an internal combustion engine.

Another
advantage of electric automobiles is that they can provide power at the
speed of an engine. This ensures strong acceleration performance for
the electric vehicle.

The important factor that determines the
cost and performance of electric automobiles are the batteries. Today,
advancements in electric automotive technology have produced a number
of battery types such as advanced lead-acid batteries, lithium polymer
batteries and nickel metal hydride. However, even if an electric motor
is extremely efficient, the capacity of the batteries is still very
limited. For instance, the best batteries can store only a fraction of
the energy of a gallon of gasoline in the same volume. The apparent
solution to this is recharging. However, charging the battery fully may
take a long time.

Electric automobiles still have a long way to
go before they reach the mainstream market. Technology continues to
improve and new innovations are constantly being introduced. Currently,
hybrid vehicles like the gasoline-electric hybrid are enjoying
considerable success. With the continued advancement in electric
automobile technology, it may not be long before we see a more
efficient and powerful electric automobile, and this time, they are
likely to be on the market for good.