DETROIT ? Enthusiasts and environmentalists have hailed the advent of electric cars as the future of automobiles, and many in the auto industry are predicting big things in 2010 for electric vehicles. But concerns about recharging, among other things, might keep the vehicle of the future from catching on with mainstream consumers, The Washington Post reports.��
With the Obama administration earmarking $2.4 billion to businesses that produce batteries and other electric car parts, the auto industry is rolling out new battery-operated and electric cars, such as Nissan?s all-battery Leaf and General Motors?s Chevy Volt, a mostly all-electric car with an auxiliary gas engine to increase the car?s driving range. Ford is planning to manufacture an electric commercial van.
?We have to get on with the electrification of our industry,? said William Clay Ford Jr., chairman of Ford. ?I know we have to have an electric car,? agreed GM Chairman Edward E. Whitacre Jr.
However, whether consumers will purchase and drive the new fleet of electric cars is a question that no one knows has the answer to. Currently, BMW is the only major automobile manufacturer to have new all-electric vehicles competitively priced for mainstream Americans. Its 500 Mini E electric is a test of the technology and, perhaps, consumer adaptability.
The two main concerns about electric cars is that even with a full charge, electric vehicles only travel less than half the miles a gasoline powered car can go with a full tank of gas, and charging the battery can take hours, with few places to plug in besides the driver?s home.
With only 734 public charging stations in the United States ?most in California ? finding a place to plug in is seen as one of the biggest problems with electric vehicles. ?I would argue that the case for the electric car is not proven,? said Jim O'Donnell, chairman and CEO of BMW North America, maker of the Mini E. ?We?re not quite sure people are willing to go for it. We?re asking consumers to pay more and get less. Our view is: Proceed with caution.?
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