Electric power is needed, but the critical hurdle is energy density. This measures how much useable energy is stored in a given volume, like mass density measures the mass in a given volume. Conventional rechargeable batteries can't match gasoline and that limits batteries from competing with the internal combustion engine.
Work on the hydrogen fuel cell is much more promising. Hydrogen provides greater energy density then petroleum, and the fuel cell has been around for a long time now. It has been used in military and space applications. The biggest commercial hurdle is how to store roughly 10 kg of hydrogen in a car so that it has a range of 500 km, like a gas-powered vehicle. This is an active area of current research, and when solved can lead to a wholesale replacement of gas engines as we know them today.
Muon I have a question that possibly you can answer. Where do you get the hydrogen from? I know of two ways, both of which have problems. You can get it from water through electroysis or extract it from hydrocarbon fuels like oil or methane.
To get it from water you must put in more energy that you will get out so that will create a huge electricity demand. Most of our electricity comes from coal burning plants which produce mostly CO2 as a product of combustion. This could eliminate our need for foreign oil but would still leave us with the greenhouse gas problem (assumming it is a problem).
If we get it from oil we are still dependent on oil. Also oil contains much more carbon by weight than hydrogen, so what happens to the carbon?
Well, we certainly have more options, in any event.
The suggestions floating about...individual charging (solar panels on the garage)...or just relying on the power grid, which can be made cleaner much easier than our cars can. (*cough* nuclear power *cough*).
As I said, I only use the finest Uranium.
