Electric cars have been around for some time. Many, including the producer of this movie believe it has to do with an oil company conspiracy. Ok, let's slip away from commie central and talk to someone who knows quite a bit about vehicle tech.
The auto companies don't give a crap about what the oil companies do, because the oil companies have been putting their sales in the toilet. The real reason involves some science so bare with me.
The reason is batteries. There are basically several different types of battery technologies competing to power electric and hybrid vehicles. They are Nickle Cadmium, Nickle Metal Hydride, Lithium Ion/Litium Polymer, and Lead Acid.
Lead Acid is your standard 12 volt car battery. These batteries pack a lot of energy buy are big and heavy. If you've ever tried to pick one up, you'll know they aren't light. These batteries aren't expensive but you need several for the high voltage needed, making the car very heavy and inefficient. You wouldn't be able to drive very far with these. Also, unless they're expensive gel based, you'll need to keep all these batteries topped up. They are not maintenance free.
Rechargable nickle based batteries are usually found in portable electronics such as radios, MP3 players, toys, etc. These batteries are good for small applications but they are more expensive than lead based batteries but are lighter. However, they still are quite heavy. They pack about the same amount of energy. You'll get increased range but not much. They don't last as long as lead batteries either.
Lithium based batteries are the most expensive of all. We use these a lot in radio controlled aircraft. Most people will usually find this type of battery in their cell phone or laptop. Lithium polymer are the most common and are best suited for electric vehicles. They pack a lot of power but are relatively small and light. They can weigh less than half as much as the above batteries used in electric cars. The car is therefore effcient and has the greatest driving range. However, the batteries can cost as much as the rest of the car, making them impractical for the majority of people.
So that's why electric cars aren't more common. Batteries today are either inefficient or cost so much that they are out of reach for the majority of people. There is no conspiracy, the technology just isn't here yet to make them practical. I'm afraid you'll have to stick to hybrids if you want to cut back on gas consumption. Sorry to tell the truth my socialist friends. I don't like the big oil companies either but I'm afraid you are searching for things that just are not there.
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