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Amid all the talk of replacing fossil fuels, there has been considerable misinformation about electric vehicles and batteries.

Some think there is a conspiracy by the oil companies to trash the potential of electric cars. Others say it is the car companies in cahoots with the oil companies at work.

Governments, in response to public pressure, have awarded massive grants, tax breaks and subsidies to encourage the development of alternative energy sources. Some of the best minds on the planet have been working on the concept in research labs, universities and both big and small companies.

Despite all this effort, developing the technology necessary for a purely electric passenger vehicle remains elusive.

Hybrids, using a combination of internal combustion engine and battery power, are the closest thing to an electric vehicle at this stage and hydrogen fuel cells hold the most promise in the longer range.

Alternative fuel research and use is growing with bio-fuels already in use in some parts of the world.

GM produced a small fleet of electric cars in the late 1990s in response to a California law. The EV-1 was recalled when the legislation was later watered down - an action that resulted in many of the claims of collusion between car and oil companies.

The latest company to take up the challenge is California-based Tesla, which is marketing a small lightweight roadster powered by 7,000 little lithium-ion batteries like those used in laptops and cellphones.

The resulting battery-pack makes up one-third of the vehicle's weight. It can be recharged from an ordinary household circuit overnight and can manage incredible performance and decent range, thanks to its low weight, which was achieved by stripping it of insulation, trim and power-robbing features. Think of it as a very elaborate and expensive ($125,000) golf cart.

Ford, General Motors, Nissan and Toyota and others have all gone public recently with news that they are close to producing plug-in hybrids. This is the closest thing yet to pure electric vehicles and is made possible by continued research and development of battery technology.

The batteries in a hybrid vehicle are currently recharged by using the motion of spinning drivetrain components and capturing energy through regenerative braking.

The new generation of plug-in hybrids will use the same nickel-metal hydride batteries as current Toyota and Lexus vehicles. But instead of being able to go only three kilometres on pure electric power, they promise a 13-km range, obviously still far from perfect. Plugged into a 110-volt household outlet, they will recharge in three to four hours.

General Motors has unveiled plans to introduce a similar plug-in hybrid by 2010 to be called the Chevrolet Volt. The promise is for a 65-km range between charges - enough for the average daily commute of the majority of folks. GM says it will also be configurable to run on gasoline, an E85 ethanol mix or biodiesel.

Ford is working with Southern California Edison to test and hasten the production of rechargeable vehicles and Nissan and its parent company Renault are in the midst of a major co-operative effort to develop alternate power sources.

But so far none of these promise the affordability and practical range and longevity of the internal combustion engine.

A major breakthrough is still needed in terms of size, power and cost to make batteries suitable for production vehicles, especially those equipped with the range of power-robbing features and systems consumers have come to expect.

Other issues remaining are their inefficiency in cold weather, the fact they cannot be fully discharged without reducing their life expectancy - already a major issue - and then there's the problem of how to dispose of and replace them.

globeauto@globeandmail.com