ABSTRACT
This chapter explores answers that are neither too technical nor too theoretical. It focuses on the rationale for and against electric vehicles (EVs), as well as the 'subtleties' of the discussion. If EVs are technologically inferior to vehicles powered by the internal combustion engine (ICE), why has there been an enduring interest in developing markets for them? To pose this question is to challenge those who use essentially technical arguments to justify the dominance of cars powered by petrol engines. One explanation for the enduring interest in EVs addresses a fundamental flaw in the argument that justifies the technological superiority of ICE cars. Some experts assert that it is unrealistic to expect that hybrid vehicles will make EVs obsolete. Factors limiting the use of EVs have long been identified, and a significant number of non-experts have a fairly good idea about these limitations, such as the lack of infrastructure for recharging and the relatively high price of EVs.
