Electrochemical power for transportation

The use of electrochemical power in transportation vehicles is an old concept that has a good probability of again playing a significant role in the transportation industry. It is interesting to note that this is occurring almost a century after its initial success in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is appropriate to include in this section some historical background of the rise and fall and subsequent rebirth of the electric vehicle, as well as a brief discussion of current transportation needs, and environmental and energy utilization issues that resulted in the renewed interest in applying electrochemical energy conversion technology to electric vehicle applications. Although energy utilization has become the most significant and important issue, the environmental issue will be discussed first in this section only because of its chronological occurrence.