Prospects for mass production of electric vehicles

In this paper, the author describes problems, issues, and the industry\´s current readiness for the mass production of electric vehicles in the United States. The information presented was garnered from interviews conducted with 150 executives of more than 100 Government and industry organizations and institutions and has been complemented by the analysis, experience, and perspective of the author. The report is structured upon such topics as related vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers, and auto-related institutions, and presents data related to the current status of the industry. The development of electric vehicles has received world-wide attention in the past decade and the EV industry has now reached a readiness status to the extent that an EV passenger car built from the "ground-up" will be available by late 1980. By the turn of the century, the author expects EVs to play an important role in the automotive industry.