The driving range of today's electric cars is limited by the amount of power the battery can provide. Current batteries take hours to recharge and the cost of electric vehicles is high. Recent developments in electric vehicle technology show much promise for the future. Pure ethanol fuel offers excellent performance, plus low hydrocarbon and toxic emissions. With current technology and price structures, ethanol is more expensive than gasoline.
New technologies offer the hope of significantly reduced costs.
It can be produced at prices comparable to gasoline from natural gas and can also be produced from coal and wood. Many auto manufacturers have developed advanced M100 prototypes. Methanol has long been the fuel of choice for race cars because of its superior performance and fire safety characteristics. Natural gas is abundant and is widely used for home heating and industrial processes. It is easily transported through pipelines and costs about the same or slightly less than gasoline.