electric car

The REVAi/G-Wiz i electric car charging from an on-street station in London.

An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor(s), using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass production of cheaper gasoline vehicles led to a decline in the use of electric drive vehicle. The energy crises of the 1970s and 80s brought a short lived interest in electric cars, but in the mid 2000s took place a renewed interest in the production of electric cars due mainly to concerns about rapidly increasing oil prices and the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions. As of early 2011 series production models available in some countries include the Tesla Roadster, REVAi, Buddy, Mitsubishi i MiEV, Th!nk City, and Nissan Leaf.

Electric cars have several potential benefits as compared to conventional internal combustion automobiles that include a significant reduction of urban air pollution as they do not emit harmful tailpipe pollutants from the onboard source of power at the point of operation (zero tail pipe emissions); reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the onboard source of power depending on the fuel and technology used for electricity generation to charge the batteries; and less dependence on foreign oil, which for the United States, other developed and emerging countries is cause of concerns about their vulnerability to price shocks and supply disruption. Also for many developing countries, and particularly for the poorest in Africa, high oil prices have an adverse impact on their balance of payments, hindering their economic growth.

For electric vehicles other than battery powered road vehicles, see electric vehicle. For passenger electric vehicles, see Electric car.

Citroën Berlingo Electrique vans of the ELCIDIS goods distribution service in La Rochelle, France

A battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of, or in addition to, internal combustion engines (ICEs) for propulsion.
A battery-only electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle derives all its power from its battery packs and thus has no internal combustion engine, fuel cell, or fuel tank. Sometimes, all-electric vehicles are referred to as BEVs (although a plug-in hybrid is also a battery electric vehicle).