Early EVs had a range of between 50 and 100 miles. This meant that even little old ladies could and often did drive them. By 1935 EVs had fallen out of favor with the public as the invention of the starter motor, the gradual improvement of the reliability of the internal combustion engine, and the invention of the automatic transmission made the internal combustion engine equally practical while lifting the range restriction. Note that the advent of the automobile solved a major problem of pollution stemming from horse emissions. The problem of ICE vehicles today.
Air pollution is a major problem in most cities.
60 percent of the pollution in the Los Angeles air basin is attributable to the automobile. Tougher emissions standards for automobiles have helped to keep the air breathable in Los Angeles, however more and more vehicles continue to be introduced to the Los Angeles air basin. As ICE vehicles age, their emissions equipment wears and breaks down. The worst polluters are often 1980's vehicles with broken or missing emissions equipment. Petroleum based fuel is a finite resource.