Are electric cars in our future? Futurists envision a world in which all cars will run on electricity and create no pollution. How realistic is this? It’s possible? First of all, it would be necessary to develop the appropriate infrastructure that would allow many users to charge their cars efficiently. There just aren’t enough stations to go around right now, some areas don’t have any. The state with the most stations is currently California. Other areas that are working hard to build them include the Bay Area and Portland in Oregon.

Electric cars like the Nissan Leaf are powered by a huge battery that needs to be recharged. Since the mileage range is around 100 miles before you need a recharge, it’s better suited for people with shorter commutes. It can be recharged at home, but that takes time, which is why many buyers opt to have a charging station installed at home.

The station would be installed in the buyer’s garage and this poses a problem because not everyone owns a home with a garage. Consumers residing in apartment or condominium complexes without a garage will not be able to charge an EV. Not to mention the fact that some homes are multi-unit with no garage.

However, there are hardly enough charging stations to make EVs practical for most consumers. Many potential buyers have range anxiety; this means they are worried that the battery will die and they may end up stranded on the side of the road. The lack of charging stations prevents many buyers from considering an electric vehicle.

However, many companies are working together to find a solution to this problem. The Renault-Nissan Alliance group is currently working with federal agencies and power companies to develop and build an infrastructure that will allow large numbers of people to drive electric vehicles. AeroVironment, a private company, is in the process of developing multiple charging stations that could charge an EV very quickly. In the future, we may even be able to meet daily electrical needs, like using the TV or lights with power provided by Leaf. It may sound a bit fancy, but Nissan is currently testing this concept.

Car companies like Nissan are working together with federal agencies and independent companies so that many people can have an electric vehicle. The government is also investing a lot of money in the research necessary to make this a reality. However, it will take many years before the infrastructure is robust enough to support large numbers of users. Hopefully all your hard work, the right infrastructure is available soon!