In the next year or two electric cars, or zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as they are sometimes referred to, will be an everyday sight on roads right across the globe. The stuff of science fiction books will have have become science fact.

Basic ZEVs are already for sale to car owners in many parts of the world and are due to become dramatically more sophisticated and widespread in the coming years.

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

Affordable electric vehicles and ZEVs are already being produced and will shortly be widely available in showrooms around the globe. We are already familiar with hybrid vehicles, which have been in existence for many years. These cars use both electric and gasoline propulsion to aid in the reduction of emissions. Electric vehicles take eco-friendly motoring to a higher level, in that they have no emissions at all – they don’t even have a tail pipe. The benefits of this are likely to be dramatic, especially in polluted city areas, as electric cars and ZEVs become more popular.

So how does the electric car function? Electric cars use electric motors and motor controllers instead of the traditional internal combustion engine. Instead of standard gasoline, these cars are powered by electricity from batteries, although modern methods of energy storage are being developed that should replace battery packs in the not too distant future. Even now, special refilling stations for the electric car revolution are being built on roadsides around the globe where motorists can stop and refuel their electric vehicles, just like at a normal filling station.

However, for many motorists, the transition from the usual gasoline car that we all know and love to electric vehicles and ZEVs will require quite a big leap of faith. However, electric vehicles have so many things going for them that the transition should be a pretty painless one.

Running costs – The fact that electric vehicles are more economical to run and cost less to maintain will likely win over their most steadfast opponents. Drivers will get a lot more miles for their dollar and the expense of maintaining these vehicles will be much cheaper than servicing a normal car.

The environment – As electric vehicles become more widespread, the advantages to the environment will be very significant. This is especially the case in large densely populated areas where smog and poor air quality at street level presents a significant health hazard to residents.

Some concerns do remain over electric cars, such as the length of time it takes to recharge battery packs, the top speeds and acceleration of the cars, and issues such as handling and performance. That said, as car producers invest more and more cash into fine tuning these vehicles, these issues are likely to be dealt with sooner rather than later.