In terms of cost, electric vehicles cost less in the long run, as they are virtually maintenance free. Gasoline, oil, coolant, filters, gaskets, tune-ups, belts, etc, are all eliminated when no longer burning gasoline.

Making a comparison between the amount of pollution created by generating electricity and the amount of pollution created by drilling, refining, transporting and storing petroleum products is practically absurd. Clean coal technology is a vast improvement over the present infrastructure required to produce petroleum.

According to the EPA, conventional gas burning vehicle batteries are 99% recycled.  The batteries used by electric vehicles contain valuable materials that can be almost entirely recycled. 

As fuel cell technology improves, the issue of batteries being a source of pollution will lessen. 

As far as slow highway speeds of electric vehicles, many converted vehicles easily reach average highway speeds.  If high speed is truly required from an electric vehicle, the technology is available.  The truth is that average highway speeds are sufficient for most people.

Currently, the weakest link in the electric car equation is the battery technology. Batteries are heavy and bulky, have limited capacity (and thus range), can be slow to charge, have a relatively short life span, and are expensive.

A typical battery pack weighs 1,000 pounds or more, offers a range of about 50 miles on a charge, can take from four to twelve hours to fully charge (depending on whether a 240 volt or 120 volt recharging system is used), lasts three to five years, and costs $1,000 to $2,000 to replace.

As fuel cell technology improves, many experts believe the electric car of the future will get its electricity from an environmentally-friendly hydrogen fuel cell, which may reduce the cost of batteries in the future.

An overview of how an electric vehicle works and the basics involved to convert a gasoline powered vehicle are the starting point for deciding whether to proceed with electric car conversion. Knowing the basic technical issues, costs, pros and cons and the myths involved will make the decision an informed one.