While Nissan sales figures are as more than 400 percent higher than last year, the Japanese automaker is facing tough competition in the electric car market for the first time. Much like Toyota and its early dominance in the hybrid marketplace, Nissan is going to have to work hard to ensure it remains the most popular EV in the U.S.

Visit certain cities around the world, and you’ll see tiny electric cars quietly whizzing around the streets, taking residents and holiday makers from place to place, delivering goods, or even doing the daily commute. Called Neighborhood Electric Vehicles—NEVs for short—these small cars don't have the range or performance of bigger, highway-capable cars like the Nissan LEAF. But they can provide some consumers the first real-world experience of electric cars without breaking the bank.

Consumers expect convenience and ease of use. Lengthy charging times are a no-go. And when it comes to EVs, that makes the Tesla Model S the sole option. With a 265-mile E.P.A.-rated range and 90-kW charging from the supercharger network, this is an electric car as easy to use as a gas car. All that comes from the availability of a 85-kWh battery pack. That's the secret.

Just because it's an electric car doesn't mean you can't make the car your own, add that feature the manufacturer neglected to put in, or improve what the car company sold you.

Range limitations means the SRI EV1 isn't ready to win the Mexican 1000, but it ran flat out for five days and proved its mettle.