In the next decade or so, experts predict that electric car sales will surpass gas-powered car sales.
Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leafs on charge (Image: Business Insider/J. Bort)
That may seem hard to believe. In 2015, all of the alternative fuel cars (hybrid, electric, natural gas, etc.) put together only made up about 7% of the 129 million total cars in the US, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
But by 2030, a report from Argonne National Laboratory predicts, electric cars will make up 58% of the light vehicle market, and non-hybrid gas cars will only comprise 23%.
That flip-flop would mean Americans would use 2.4 million fewer barrels of oil per day, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.
We have a ways to go, but the technology powering electric cars has been leapfrogging itself in the last few years.
Tesla’s highly anticipated Model 3 — expected for release in late 2016 — will be priced at about $35,000, and will be able to drive over 200 miles per charge.
And now GM has come to play: Wired said the auto giant “beat Elon Musk in the race to build a true electric car for the masses.” The Chevy Bolt, expected for late 2016, can also go 200 miles on a single charge, and will be priced at $33,000.
Read more: Tech Insider