Toward the Vision of All-Electric Vehicles in a Decade

Consumers, manufacturers, and inventors have been pondering the idea of electrifying transportation for decades, but engines on the road remain largely based on fossil fuel. Alternate technologies like hydrogen fuel cells and biofuels have been on the near horizon for years. Despite the advent of various strong policy incentives, electric vehicles (EVs) have had limited success in the market. However, a recent surge in battery technologies and other market forces have combined to pose a serious threat to the centuries-old internal combustion engine vehicles. Anticipating significant EV penetration into the transportation sector, this article discusses various aspects and key challenges of charging battery electric vehicles (BEVs). © 2012 IEEE.