Why not electrics?
c. 1900 Roberts Electric, one of the oldest known operating electric cars BoingBoing science editor Maggie Koerth-Baker writes in The New York Times , It will come as no surprise to hear that only a tiny fraction — less than 1 percent — of cars driving along American roads are fully electric. What might be more surprising is the fact that this wasn’t always the case. In 1900, 34 percent of cars in New York, Boston and Chicago were powered by electric motors. Nearly half had steam engines. What happened? Why do we end up embracing one technology while another, better one struggles or fails? Her thesis is that, "Society shapes the development and use of technology," and we don't necessarily end up with the technology best suited for our needs (ie, VHS vs. Betamax). She doesn't really answer the electric car question, but says, We drive gas-powered cars today for a complex set of reasons, Kirsch says, but not because the internal-combustion engine is inherent...
