The other fuel sources are all more or less consumable, subject to being used up before more can be acquired. We have a heck of a lot more distance, so to speak, with electricity. A decrease in availability of other fuels would, over time, put more research and development into electric cars, possibly making them more common and affordable than other engines.
When Tesla came out no one thought they would last. Now Tesla's are all over the world. Their now a statement brand. Everyone who drives it is basically saying "yea i made it" just by diving one the way BMW and Porsche's do. Teslas have been devouring the market that luxury car brands such as Mercedes and Lexus have been thriving on for years. And their success hasn't gone unnoticed Caddilac made its first electric production car, so has Mercedes. Porsche made its 918 spyder hybrid car, Mclaren made the P1, and Ferrari made the La Ferrari. All these car companies are rushing to convert to electric cause they see were the money is headed and they are following.
Electric cars will fully replace cars fueled by other sources when batteries become more efficient and costs of the cars come down. Plugging in vehicles to refuel them is much more efficient and far less explosive. Reducing the number of fatalities due to exploding gas tanks is a worthy goal just because life is precious.
I think that in the next century, we will see electric cars become commonplace on the road. Right now, the biggest challenge to such cars becoming widespread is their range. You can only go so far on a battery. But battery technology is always improving, and in 100 years will probably allow the same range as a fossil fueled automobile.
With the rapid rise of climate change affecting all of the world, it is imperative that we look for alternative sources to power our vehicles. The most obvious is the electric car, which currently exists, and is very efficient. The time has come to embrace the technology, which has been killed by big oil more than once. Otherwise, it's fair to say that our children's children won't have a planet to live on.
Eventually in the future all cars will be fueled by electricity via solar power. Solar power for the use of driving cars is the best thing we can do for the future of cars. It would be a completely clean and renewable energy. This would make it so we release less carbon into the air.
The convenience of other fuel sources is what makes them attractive. The mentality that "this is the way its always been" has clearly indoctrinated the nation into believing they need things like gas stations. Electric cars will eventually dominate the market, but not until the price and maintenance of other fuel sources is too much to sacrifice just on historical ties.
I think that due to the decreasing fossil fuels, damaged environment, and expense of gas, people will want to switch to a more "green" power source. Just as the title says, even if they don't want to (why wouldn't they) they will have to anyway. I need five more words. Now I have them.
If all Americans have A Hybrid, gas would no longer be used! We won't have to worry about high gas prices because we wont be using it! I already recommend most people to get one because it will save people tons of money. On the other hand, many of people will be laid off, it will still save people a lot of money.
I don't believe that electric cars or electric engines will every surpass the regular engine. They wouldn't have the horsepower that regular engines would. One day maybe the electric will surpass the gas engine, but Then you get into the talk about hot rods, trucks, and dragsters I don't ever believe that they will switch to an electric engine.
Making batteries is a costly process and making car batteries is extremely resource wasting. I'd say that we have the resources to make perhaps 2-3 generations of electric cars until we'll switch to something else. This alternative might be eco-friendly, but with the current technology we cannot create an electric fleet.
So far, electric cars can't go very far at all. Although the average family rarely even travels far enough to pass the limits of the electric cars, the liability it holds that they can only go a certain distance makes it seem unappealing. So until electric cars can go much further than they do now, they will always be behind traditional gas cars.
We must all remember that electric cars run on electricity that is generated by "dirty fuel" like coal and natural gas. If you think that we will HAVE to switch to electric cars in replacement of other fueled cars, than think for a minute. Electric cars are not as good as the media puts them out to be. They are inefficient on their mileage, speed, and availability. Plus, the automotive industry is creating better cars every year that use less gas, pollute less, and are cheaper to build. The oil industry is also finding more large oil deposits in the ground that can fuel the world economy for over 100 years. Now, for all you greens out there, don't assume that that isn't a long time for us. Remember that our machines are getting more efficient every year, so don't make an estimate like, "based on our present consumption of gas, we will run out ...". There IS no present based on the rate our technology is growing. Think of the future. Electric cars will NOT replace other fuel sources.