Prospects for electric vehicles

The state-of-the-art of electric vehicles (EVs) is discussed with examples of prototype vehicles-Electric G-Van, Chrysler TEVan, Eaton DSEP, and Ford/GE ETX-II. The acceleration, top speed, and range of these electric vehicles are delineated to demonstrate their performance capabilities, which are comparable with conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The prospects for the commercialization of the Electric G-van and the TEVan and the improvements expected from the AC drive systems of the DSEP and ETX-II vehicles are discussed. The impacts of progress made in the development of a fuel cell/battery hybrid bus and advanced EVs on the competitiveness of EVs with ICE vehicles, and their potential for reduction of air pollution and utility load management are postulated.<>