Electric vehicles will continue to gain popularity for the same reason as rooftop solar – the economics keep improving. Batteries (mass production) and charging costs (from solar) are getting less expensive, gasoline will inevitably increase in price again, and virtually every single automaker is rolling out new EV models. But it’s easy to overlook some of the other benefits of electric vehicles: they are fun to drive, require almost no maintenance, and reduce your commute time with HOV lanes.
The fun part is evident the first time you get into an EV and floor the gas pedal. Acceleration is brisk, and in high performance electric vehicles better than even the quickest sports car. But the extra battery weight of electric vehicles does inhibit their performance around corners.
Range anxiety is the biggest disadvantage of EVs. Charging up a high capacity battery takes time, and public chargers are neither widely available nor inexpensive (public charges are usually 2-3 times more expensive than charging at home). Moreover, it is inconvenient to plug your car into a charger every time you pull into your garage. Nevertheless, every EV owner I have met will not go back to a gas vehicle for their daily commute. For more about the benefits, disadvantages and comparative operating costs of different EV models, Listen Up to the Energy Show.