Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) can be economically attractive as commuter cars in city traffic. Attractiveness fades for longer-distance traveling due to larger battery packs, a smaller efficiency advantage, and more fast charging at on-peak rates. As a result, displacing just a low single-digit percentage of global oil consumption through BEVs will require perpetual subsidies. A strong argument can be made that future overall cost reductions could be greater for hybrids than BEVs. Autonomous driving technology does not change this outlook. Introduction This article follows up from a widely read earlier article on why a fully electric transportation future is unlikely to arrive any time soon. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) certainly represent an important wedge in any transportation emissions reduction plan, but they are no holy grail. BEVs have the same ideological appeal as wind and solar power. They are very easily marketed as perfectly clean and sustainable alternatives […]