Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Electric Vehicles

November 30, 2012

At Argonne's Advanced Powertrain Research Facility, researchers conduct vehicle benchmarking and testing activities that provide data critical to the development and commercialization of next-generation vehicles.| Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory

This article is part of the Energy.gov series highlighting the “Top Things You Didn’t Know About…” 

10. Did you know that the average American’s daily round-trip commute is less than 30 miles? With many electric vehicles having a range of more than 70 miles a charge, they are a reliable and comfortable way for Americans to get from point A to point B. For longer trips, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with a back-up internal combustion engine may be a good alternative. Both help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to a cleaner environment. Watch our Energy 101: Electric Vehicles video to learn more.

9. The electric vehicle market is growing faster than you might realize. More than 7,000 plug-in and all-electric vehicles were sold in October 2012 -- making it the highest month of electric car sales to date.

8. Currently there are 13 electric vehicle models on the market, and the number continues to rise. For model years 2013 and 2014, manufacturers are expected to debut at least 18 new plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles, including the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV and 2014 Fiat 500e -- both of which were unveiled this week at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show.

7. Electric vehicles are a highly efficient mode of transportation. Up to 80 percent of the energy in the battery is transferred directly to power the car, compared with only 14-26 percent of the energy from gasoline-powered vehicles.

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