Electric cars use electricity stored in a battery pack to power the electric motor. Since battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are run entirely on electricity, they are also called all-electric vehicles. While electric vehicles don’t produce tailpipe pollution, the electricity they use could be produced from a coal- or gas-powered power plant. UCSUSA research shows that battery electric cars that charge off the gas-dominated grid still produce less pollution than their gas-powered counterparts, while BEVs powered by renewable energy sources are virtually emission free. To find out how you can pair your electric vehicle to a solar panel system and be completely energy independent