Plugged In

Gasoline is expensive. Its price is regulated by the two most volatile locales in the world: Wall Street and the Middle East. When you burn it, toxic gases are produced that make the air less breathable, and make the whole planet a little warmer. It seems like a pretty big penalty for mobility. Is there another way?

The auto industry says yes: electric cars. They produce absolutely no emissions, and refuel through wall sockets like any household appliance. Other than that, they drive like normal cars, albeit a bit quieter.

It seems like the perfect solution, but it’s not exactly a new one. When the car was first invented, some people didn’t like the idea of driving around in a machine powered by a smelly, explosive liquid. Electric cars seemed like a more civilized alternative; Milburn sold 7,000 electric cars between 1914 and 1923.

Now, car companies are trying it again. There are currently a few full-electric vehicles available in the United States: the Nissan Leaf ($35,200 MSRP) and Mitsubishi i ($21,625 MSRP). Tesla Motors plans to release its Model S sedan next year. 

However, these 21st century electrics have the same drawbacks as their 20th century ancestors. The main issue is range: the Leaf averages only 73 miles per charge, according to the EPA. While it is significantly faster, (top speed of 90 mph versus 20), the Leaf has about the same range as the 1914 Milburn.

Once you run out, filling up is not easy. Charging stations are nearly non-existent, and charging times are measured in hours, not minutes. In fact, electric cars have already added a new phrase to the vocabulary of motoring: “range anxiety.”

Electric cars look promising, but they are not the technology of the future, at least not yet. The same drawbacks that killed them off in the 1920s make them impractical in November 2011. Until batteries become more efficient, or until there is a charging station for every gas station, electric cars will be more of a curiosity than a viable alternative to gasoline.