Electric vehicles in our future?

Electricity
The momentum for battery-powered vehicles — both all-electric and hybrid models — appears unstoppable. American carmakers are finally rising to Toyota's challenge, offering steadily cheaper and more efficient models. To prepare for an influx of plug-ins, politicians have called for upgrades to the country's power grid, based on the assumption that drivers will charge their vehicles at home, overnight. But some will want to refuel on the road, either topping up their batteries to avoid turning on the gas engine, or recharging their all-electric vehicles out of necessity. The prospect of recharging stations is complex and a little confusing. Some experts have proposed removable battery packs that can be quickly swapped out for a fully charged pack, while others predict that drivers will simply have to wait at a rest stop for an hour or more as their parked cars remain plugged in. This is seen primarily as a business dilemma, and however the market sorts itself out, the technological hurdles are relatively minor.