An electric vehicle (EV) has no internal combustion engine and does not use a fuel to run. Electric vehicles are charged from the grid or a renewable energy system. The carbon footprint of an electric vehicle is entirely dependent on source of electricity, and the more renewable the energy source the less impact from the vehicle. An electric vehicle relies on a number of advanced technologies like regenerative braking, electric motor drive & assistance, a large bank of batteries, as well as automatic start and shutoff.

Electric vehicles have a number of benefits besides their reduced environmental impact. EVs also provide a quiet, smooth operation, stronger acceleration and require less maintenance than internal combustion engines. At this time, technology is still advancing for these vehicles and battery technology is the limiting factor, which means that EVs have a much short driving range, usually less than 150 miles per charge. Batteries are also fairly expensive and can take 4-8 hours to fully recharge. But expect technology for these alternative vehicles to quickly advance.