The craze for electric cars originally started with vehicles like the Toyota Prius, a simple four-door car with the capability to run on electricity as opposed to gasoline. Higher performing, more elegant cars have made their way on to the market since the Prius. Tesla has been developing luxury hybrid cars for almost 20 years. The hype around electric cars has grown, and other motor companies have begun to develop hybrid cars that have the performance of a sports car. You can now purchase a hybrid car that has around 700 horsepower.
Companies, such as Mercedes, Porsche, BMW and even McLaren, have developed electric supercars. All of these cars come equipped with very complex technology that not only makes the car quicker but improves handling with 4-wheel drive. This allows the torque to get distributed to the wheels depending on the driving conditions. When going straight its focus is on the rear wheels. In tight corners it puts its attention to the outer wheels to dramatically increase handling. These have everything one wants in a super car without the noise and the hassle of stopping for fuel, along with better steering. There are some downfalls, though. The Mercedes SLS takes around 20 hours to charge and to use the car to its full performance potential can drain the battery fairly quickly. The price is also significantly higher, and the SLS costs around $550,000 whereas the V8 fuel powered engine starts at $200,000. Balancing the cost with performance, buying the electric version of this car is excessive. Yet, the technology should not be overlooked because it is the next step into the future of car technology.