Fast forward to the 20th century... the great state of California slowly woke up to the fact that those brown clouds of toxic air hovering over their great cities weren't benign naturally occuring phenomenon, and the beloved symbol of American freedom and personal expression, the automobile, was in great part to blame. Enter CARB (California Air Resources Board) and the famous, or infamous, Zero-Emission Mandate which mandated that by a certain year (originally 1997, then 2000, then 2010, then..?) a certain percentage (originally 10%, then 5%, then 2%, then partial ZEV credits, then..?) of new vehicles sold in the state must produce zero tailpipe emissions. The only known vehicle at the time capable of such a miraculous feat was the nearly defunct electric vehicle.

Reluctantly the major auto-makers, much like a child when told to clean his room, began to put forth token efforts to produce freeway capable electric vehicles, albeit complaining the entire time. Some wonderful vehicles resulted from those efforts (see the GM EV1 electric sports sedan at the right). Sadly those same vehicles also suffered some significant drawbacks. The range on conventional lead acid batteries was somewhere between 40-60 miles. The recharge time of 8 hours also raised some skeptical eyebrows. The purchase price was set at about $40k due in large part to the re-engineering of nearly every major onboard system (air conditioning, heating, powertrain control, etc.). Clearly the battery technology was the limiting factor here. The auto-makers complained to CARB that no one was going to give up their cushy gas guzzling, fume spewing vehicles, with their 300 mile ranges and refueling time of about 5-10 minutes, for an over-priced glorified golf cart!

Well they did have some good points, but that didn't stop CARB, or the ominous brown cloud (and the resulting dramatic increase in lung diseases and deaths), and it didn't stop the dedicated eco-conscious Californian either. Slowly shops began springing up that would convert your existing gas guzzler to a quiet fume free eco-icon. The idea spread and soon some very influential people began supporting the movement. The auto-makers found themselves complaining in vain. They had failed to market their vehicles, had refused to produce the vehicles, and despite long, long waiting lists of eager earth-friendly buyers with lots of cash to spare, they insisted that no one wanted them.

Today we find ourselves the victims in this crazy battle. You'd be pretty lucky to find a production electric vehicle available to buy. Most are only available to fleet buyers and only in certain parts of the country. The few that are available can either only be leased (Ford Ranger EV), or have exorbitant price tags (Solectria Force, for around $40k). There is, as of today, only one freeway capable electric vehicle known to the author that is reasonably priced and most of all AVAILABLE. That is the Corbin Sparrow (see left). With a top speed of 80mph, a recharge time of about 4 hours, the privelege of driving in the HOV lane in most cities, federal and state tax incentives on the purchase, and finally a purchase price at about $14,000, the Sparrow is the only one of it's kind!

The future of pure electrics seems to be more certain now than it ever was. Despite advances in battery technology (NiMH, Li-Ion, Zinc-Air, etc.), batteries continue to be prohibitively expensive. Since the cheaper lead-acid batteries are sticking around, electric vehicles are finding certain niche markets that are perfectly suited for the typical EV's attributes (see the Swiss Twike electric vehicle at the right). Also, recent advances in super capacitors augment the performance and range (by about 30%) of batteries to the point that battery powered EV's are achieving performance figures and ranges competitive with gasoline vehicles (Solectria is the pioneer in this effort). Planned communities are embracing the Low Speed Vehicles such as those produced by GEM and Ford Th!nk. Electric bicycles are a booming market worldwide as an inexpensive way for city-dwellers to commute (see our review of the Ford Th!nk Bike Fun below). Fleet buyers continue to take advantage of the low maintenance and tax incentives. And of course, the "greenies" continue to use such vehicles as the Corbin Sparrow to commute to work for about a penny per mile. Electric vehicles are certainly here to stay and are available to those willing to look. Only minimal lifestyle changes are required (making sure to plug the vehicle in at night and watching the daily mileage closely). They have great advantages over their gasoline counterparts (see below) and are amazingly fun to drive! Anyone wanting to take one for a spin need look no further than EV Rental which rents EV's and other eco-friendly vehicles at many major airports around the country. Finally, it's the author's view that the manner in which electric vehicles came to fruition (not through major auto-makers, but through local mechanics and dedicated eco-minded tinkerers) has paved the way for another technology to come forth in a similar manner, hydrogen combustion vehicles. It should also be mentioned that the technological developments resultant from the EV industry have fueled the hybrid vehicle industry and the fuel cell vehicle industry as well. It's clear that the advancements in batteries and motors will continue to greatly impact the automobile industry for decades to come.