Electric vehicles are not new. They outsold gasoline cars in the early 1900s. Then cheap oil and mass-produced Model T killed them. Now they are back. An electric vehicle is powered entirely by an electric motor and battery. No gasoline, no exhaust pipe, no oil changes.

Modern EVs use lithium-ion battery packs. Range varies from about 150 to over 400 miles. Charging at home is slow but convenient. Fast chargers on highways can add hundreds of miles in half an hour. The grid is getting greener, so EVs get cleaner over time.

Types

• BEV: battery electric, no gasoline engine
• PHEV: plug-in hybrid, electric plus gasoline
• HEV: hybrid, gasoline engine charges the battery
• FCEV: hydrogen fuel cell, rare but growing

EVs cost less to run and maintain. They also have fewer moving parts. But they cost more upfront, and charging infrastructure is uneven. Rural areas and apartment dwellers face the biggest barriers. The transition is happening. It is not happening evenly.