Electric Cars: Present and Future Developments

Guests: John Voelcker, Tom Turrentine, Willett Kempton

With about 100,000 electric cars on the roads in the United States, they are a small but growing sector of the auto industry. Improvements in battery technology and several new models from large auto companies show that the future of electric cars is promising. Yet, this process hasn’t been without setbacks. Fisker Automotive, a plug-in hybrid car maker has been in a tailspin – laying off employees and failing to pay off loans – showing that start-up electric car makers are not immune to risk. Do electric cars have what it takes to be a viable form of transportation in the twenty first century? We get an update on the state of the electric car industry from JOHN VOELCKER of High Gear Media and Green Car Reports. Then we hear from Professor TOM TURRENTINE on usability issues and consumer perception of electric cars. Professor WILLETT KEMPTON of the University of Delaware rounds out the hour with a look at his recent work involving electric vehicles and the electricity grid.

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer