Electric cars would go a long way toward greening the environment but,
The oil companies are a tad addicted to those huge profits they've been raking in since the internal combustion engine was invented. Since then big oil has done whatever was needed to insure their product will always be in high demand. In the late fifties and early sixties, they used their overwhelming supply of cash to shoot down fuel injection. Effectively delaying its adoption for another twenty years. They loved the fact that carbureted motors sucked gasoline and hated the fact that fuel injection was way too efficient. So, they paid off the big three to shelve the fuel injection. But much to their chagrin, that train had already left the station when big oil got big greedy.
The fully battery powered car has more cons than pros and that dog won't hunt. Gasoline/electric hybrids still have the major drawback of packing a huge heavy battery. The trade off in fuel economy isn't sufficient enough to make them viable for the average Joe because they're insanely expensive.
There is an alternative that meets the problem half way in the form of diesel electric hybrids. Like a fleet boat or a locomotive, The engine drives a generator that powers electric motors in the wheels.
Such a simple concept. The only problem is that the oil companies don't want it getting in the way of their bottom line.
I'm sure some clever fellow could figure out a way to convert water into hydrogen on the fly and we could all be filling our tanks with the garden hose.
As if.
