Electric cars have been around for a long time, and the first electric car was created in the early eighteen hundreds, before gasoline cars became popular. The first electric cars to hit the market were actually advertised to the wealthy, and the electric car was considered a vehicle that was perfect for ladies of the time to use to get around town in. These cars did not have any of the noise or pollution associated with combustion engines, and they also did not require a crank to be turned in order for the car to start. Once the internal combustion engine gained popularity, electric cars became scarce for a time. Currently, electric cars are making a comeback and are starting to be in high demand again because of air pollution, global warming, and the need to end the dependence on oil and other fossil fuels.

The newer electric cars can be fully electric or they can be hybrid electric cars. Fully electric cars even today face some disadvantages against hybrid electric cars, because a car that is completely electric must be plugged in and recharged. In the United States, many highways and main roads are not set up for recharging, and an electric car must be recharged frequently because of a limitation in the distance the vehicle can go on the energy supply available. Hybrid electric cars are not as environmentally friendly as full electric cars, because these vehicles run on both fuel and electric. A hybrid electric car has both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, so that fuel is used for normal driving and then the electric motor is used to supply extra power needed and extend the gas mileage rate of the car. A hybrid vehicle will have some pollution and carbon emissions, but many hybrid electric cars can also use biofuels like biodiesel and ethanol instead of traditional fuels, and this will make them more environmentally friendly as well.