What Happened to Electric Vehicles?
While the current shift to electric vehicles is just getting started, electric vehicles arent a recent innovation.
Toward the end of the 20th century, a number of major automakers launched electric vehicle testbeds.

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The industry consensus was that battery technology was a few decades away from finally being competitive with gas.
However, electric vehicles do have one crucial advantage in that they dont create any tailpipe emissions.
For example, you wont be able to buy any new gas-powered vehicles in California starting in 2035.

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For many drivers, and many situations, public charging stations arent necessary.
Thats more than five times the current capacity of the nationwide charging infrastructure.
Automakers are often slow to adopt new technologies, and big changes dont often happen overnight.

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Beyond simply offering more options, some automakers have fully committed to the shift to electric vehicles.
General Motors has pledged that it will only manufacture electric vehicles starting in 2035.
Others have made huge investments, but havent gone quite as far as GM.
However, the most important component is consumer acceptance and interest.
Advanced features like self-driving are also likely to pique consumer interest as they become available.
The shift to electric vehicles has been a long time coming.
Trying to figure out electric vehicles and how they might fit into your life?
ReadThe Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Electric Vehiclesto learn more.