AMSTERDAM - APRIL 12 - Charging a Renault Zoe Preview conceptcar, on display during the AutoRAI motorshow April 12 - 23, 2011 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.The Associated Press
True story: Although the electric vehicle may seem like a 21st-century phenomenon, the first examples appeared as far back as the 1830s. The EV fell out of favour by 1930—as soon as gasoline-powered vehicles became more refined and petroleum products became more widely available—but they're mounting a serious comeback now.
The current fascination with EVs wouldn't have been possible without the groundbreaking work done by gas-electric hybrid vehicles. Just a decade ago, hybrids were considered exotic and futuristic; now, they're as common a sight on our streets as traffic lights and stop signs. The Toyota Prius became the first mass-market hybrid in 1997; currently in its third generation, cumulative sales have gone past the 2.5-million mark worldwide.
Of course, other factors have also helped push the car business to the crossroads—the proverbial intersection, if you will. So the race is now on to create better, faster and stronger vehicles that will, at the same time, emit fewer emissions (if any) and use less fuel (if any). While a variety of alternative-fuel vehicles are still vying for the spotlight, most signs indicate that this is the year the EV takes the lead.
First, every major car manufacturer either has an electric vehicle on the road today or is on the verge of launching one. In China, the largest single market for automobiles in the world, the government has committed $15 billion to becoming the global leader in EV production by the year 2020. Requirements for tailpipe emissions are becoming stricter all the time and manufacturers must meet ever more stringent fuel efficiency ratings for their entire product lines.
In addition, due to continued advances in battery technology—many of the research findings coming from gas-electric hybrid cars and portable computers—the latest wave of EVs offers more performance and real-world viability than ever before.
Of course, there are cautions to consider and compromises to embrace; for example, locating a gas station is still easier than finding a charging station. But for a certain type of com-muter, particularly one who drives 50 km or less per day to and from work—as does over 85% of Ontario's population, according to Statistics Canada—the EV represents an inspired solution.
Modern EVs are fast becoming more affordable, more reliable and more fun to drive. They qualify for tax breaks or rebates from various jurisdictions, including a rebate program right here in Ontario. And they can all be "fueled" overnight when electricity prices are lowest using specially installed home charging stations that save the average household thousands in annual transportation costs.
So let's take a closer look at where the EV is, circa 2012, and what the future might hold for the current star of the alternative-fuel set. In this supplement, you'll learn more about the technology, the positives and the negatives, and the electric vehicles that are leading the charge, so to speak.