The Second Death of the Electric Car

Electrification of transportation has been a national goal in recent years. Electric cars were common in the early days of the automobile; however, the internal combustion engine eventually became the dominant power train. Streetcars and trolleys were the mainstay of early intra-city travel but over time were replaced by buses. “Light rail” continues to be a goal of some cities but implementation has lagged. High-speed electric trains are more common in Europe, Japan, and now China, than in the US; but the growth in automobile usage continues unabated even in those countries.