In recent years, the need to reduce carbon emissions has led to increased interest in electric cars – but the internal-combustion engine is far from dead. Despite the rise of electric cars, gasoline is 13 times more energy dense than the best lithium-ion batteries, resulting in electric cars requiring bulky, heavy battery packs and costing more to manufacture than their fossil fuel counterparts. This means that, even if an automaker launches a new electric car, these cars will likely only make up a small fraction of the total sales. Furthermore, their lack of marketing, charging infrastructure, and dealers’ inability to properly sell them all makes electric cars a less convenient option for many buyers.
But it’s not all bad news for electric cars. Automakers are continuing to invest significantly in electric cars, and hybrids may be the key to improving carbon emissions in the coming years. So, the question for car buyers is electric, hybrid, or fossil fuel?