In the next year or two electric cars, or zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as they are often called, will be an everyday sight on streets right across the world. The stuff of science fiction novels will have have become science fact.

Basic electric vehicles are already for sale to motorists in some parts of the world and are due to become dramatically more sophisticated and widespread in the next few years.

The concept of an electric vehicle is nothing new, it has been around for a number of years. However, the urgent need to cut carbon emissions in the fight to slow global warming has sped up the development of the next generation of road transport.

Affordable electric cars and ZEVs are already being produced and will shortly be widely available in car dealers around the globe. We are already familiar with hybrid vehicles, which have been on the streets for many years. These vehicles use both electric and gasoline propulsion to help reduce emissions. Electric cars take eco-friendly motoring to a higher level, in that they have no emissions whatsoever – they don’t even have a tail pipe. The advantages of this are set to be dramatic, especially in polluted urban areas, as electric vehicles and ZEVs become common.

So how does the electric car function? Electric cars use electric motors and motor controllers rather than the traditional internal combustion engine. Rather than the usual gasoline, these vehicles are powered by electricity from batteries, although cutting edge methods of energy storage are being developed that will probably replace battery packs in the not too distant future. Already, special filling stations for the electric car revolution are being built on roadsides around the world where motorists can stop and refuel their electric cars, just like at a normal filling station.

However, for some people, the transition from the standard gasoline car that we all know and love to electric cars and ZEVs will require quite a big leap of faith. However, electric vehicles have so many benefits that the transition should be a pretty smooth one.

Running costs – The fact that electric cars are more economical to run and cost less to keep on the road will likely win over their fiercest opponents. Car owners will get far more miles for their dollar and the cost of maintaining these vehicles is set to be significantly cheaper than servicing a normal car.

Global warming – As electric vehicles become more widespread, the advantages to the environment will be huge. This is especially the case in large urban areas where smog and poor air quality at street level presents a grave health hazard to residents.

Some worries do remain over electric vehicles, such as the length of time it takes to recharge battery packs, the top speeds and acceleration of the cars, and concerns such as handling and performance. That said, as car producers pump more and more cash into perfecting these vehicles, these concerns are likely to be ironed out sooner rather than later.