Convincing the public that electric vehicles are the best choice for future transportation is not going to be an easy task, especially when details such as standardized plugs for recharging and adequate recharging locations have not yet been established. Today, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales account for less than 2% of the total cars on the road.

Bringing consumers on board will involve several factors. Electric vehicles need to not only become affordable but automakers must see themselves as working together in this common project. Using shared technology, vehicles such as the GM project can be standardized for recharging at home or public power sites. Unlike cell phone users, who have constantly grumbled about individualized power cords, potential PHEV owners will not tolerate carrying around their own bag of socket and voltage converters.

They need a simple and quick connection to a conveniently located power source or they simply will not but electric vehicles.

Automakers in America can take a lesson from Europe, where factional disagreements have blocked standardization and frustrated everyone. Right now there are as many as seven different varieties of sockets and plugs worldwide that are both confusing and unnecessary. This situation is not user-friendly and should be actively corrected by car manufacturers who want to promote the convenience of PHEV and BEV cars. The infrastructure and technology are already in place.

One of the attractive features of the plug-in hybrid or the car that runs partially on a battery or batteries is the ability to recharge it almost anywhere on a minimal 110 volt current. Since many vehicle owners do not have access to a designated parking spot for their EV, installing accessible charging stations is also an important consideration. It is possible that portable charging pedestals could be quite easily installed in parking lots, parking garages and side streets.

Level 2 outlets could handle 3–4 vehicles that need to charge for 2–8 hours daily, while Level 3 outlets could handle 48–96 EV's that require only 15–30 minutes when hooked to super-charging systems. At home, ports would also interface to the electricity grid for approximately 3 hours on a 120 or 220 Volt circuit overnight.

One consideration in this infrastructure is the danger of electricity usage surges, especially for those locations where employees and students plug in their vehicles while they are at work or school. In the future the grid may be able to accommodate higher voltages and usage during daylight hours. Current may increase from 8 amps ( GM Volt project) to as high as 70 amps or more.

If electric cars are to become a valued resource in the United States, auto makers must work together to standardize equipment such as batteries and plugs, and electricity suppliers must create viable locations and opportunities for recharging that make financial sense to the prospective EV buyer. Electric cars may well be the wave of the future, but convincing the public will take effort on everyone's part.