Electric Vehicles Available Now - What are the Choices?
Okay, these obviously can't be driven on the freeway, but they are handy to drive around town. They usually have lead acid batteries, so the range is about 20-30 miles before they need to be charged back up, depending on your lead feet and other factors.If you're out driving around town, you can recover a good chunk of your charge in just 15 minutes of "opportunity charging". It takes 8 hours to completely recharge your batteries from "empty", yes, but the rhythm of a battery charger is not constant over that 8 hours. It goes very fast up to 80% charged, then slows down considerably for safety. You can get 5 miles back in 15 minutes, easy; ) Electric Sports CarsIf speed is your thing, an electric motor can deliver it. The best-known electric sports car is the Tesla Roadster, with her Lotus good looks and her innovative battery system. These are available today for just under 100k; if you've got to have one, I understand. Me too. But remember, there is a waiting list, so no instant gratification...and the list fills pretty quickly. Future CarsBy this, I don't mean "cars you'll be able to get in the future", half of which turn out to be vaporware for one reason or another. I'm talking about futuristic-looking, forward-thinking - not to mention oddly-shaped! - electric vehicles. The eco-fabulous Aptera and the freeway-flying Tango come to mind. Oh yes, and don't forget the Meyers Motors NmG - Goldmember's getaway vehicle! Conversions
Gas guzzlers can be "converted" to run on electric power only. You can either do this yourself, or hire someone else to do it for you. Electric vehicle conversions are usually light, aerodynamic cars with room for a lot of batteries somewhere; a light pickup is pretty good, and several excellent conversion books and kits have been dedicated to this particular type conversion.You can choose either an AC or a DC system for your conversion; most people choose a DC system because they are widely believed to be easiest to understand and install, and least expensive. AC systems are generally thought to be better, but more complicated and expensive. I've got an opinion on this too, of course. I tend toward AC, because you can convert a heavier car; you get full regenerative braking with AC, which extends your range considerably; and the driving experience will be more familiar, similar to the gas-guzzler. The "complication factor" is really contained within the AC inverter (similar to the DC motor's controller). It's a complicated instrument, but the installation of it is not. Over the years, people have converted everything from snowblowers to buses! You can see a lot of these converted electric vehicles on the EV Photo Album. First, get yourself a good conversion book, either electronic or print, and go from there. If Gavin can do it, he says, anybody can! Got a real gas-guzzler? NetGain, a well-respected builder of electric car motors, has come up with a relatively cheap and simple conversion that turns those giant gas-hogs into plug-in hybrids, too. Your Hummer won't magically turn into a Prius, but it certainly gives a big boost to your gas mileage! 
Sometimes the best way to get started in electric vehicles is to start riding a light electric scooter - maybe for your work commute, maybe just for fun. A lot of people start out this way, because it doesn't cost much to see if you like electric transportation. A little fresh air never hurt anyone!That's it. I left out some categories like "electric airplanes, boats, and RVs", but these are the major types of electric vehicles available in the US today. Look for more EV choices coming to your local autoplex very soon!
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. 
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