Range

The Vision EQXX left Stuttgart and drove to the UK on a single charge of its sub-100 kWh battery, mainly at motorway speeds, then completed a few track laps before running out of juice at 1,202 km (747 miles). That's about twice what a Model S gets.

Established players like VW Group and Daimler, along with upstarts in the industry, are making huge strides in battery chemistry and design, and infrastructure is starting to catch up with the needs of the average driver. With the groundwork finally laid, is it time for the electric car to shine?

Drawing on a fuel cell for power has its benefits, chief among which is zero-emissions range. The latest EPA figures for the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell have shown it will go the extra mile, with a 366 mile (589 km) rating making it the longest-range zero-emissions vehicle on the market today.

Ford says the new, 2017 version of its Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid has a bigger range than any other plug-in hybrid available in the US. The carmaker says it will do 610 mi (982 km) on a full tank of gas and with a fully charged battery, citing Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

If there's one thing that keeps people from buying electric cars, it's range anxiety. Although most EVs do feature systems that estimate range, they can't always be relied upon. A new software system, however, is said to be accurate to within two miles.

The ebuggy project is developing range-extending battery trailers, that could be towed behind electric vehicles on long highway trips.

The "Schluckspecht E" electric vehicle built by a team at the University of Applied Sciences in Offenberg, Germany has traveled a total distance of 1631.5 km (1,013.76 miles) on a single charge to

Volvo is initiating development of a hydrogen fuel cell that is expected to increase an electric car’s operating range by up to 250 km (155 miles).

Designed specifically for the new breed of efficient hybrid vehicles, Lotus Engineering’s three-cylinder 1.2 litre Range Extender engine provides 15 kW of electrical power at 1,500 rpm and 35 kW at 3,500 rpm via an integrated electrical generator.