Electric cars are often pictured in front of a solar array or wind turbine, when in reality most of our electricity comes non-renewable sources. Yet, there are three new projects that feature a close integration of solar power and electric car charging: the Tesla Supercharger network; the Fastned charging network in the Netherlands; and a collaboration between GM's OnStar and TimberRock. Very few people were thinking about this when electric cars started hitting the market a couple of year ago, but smart grid services—enabled by inter-connected EV charging, solar panels and stationary battery packs—might become the unexpected killer app of the electric car era.

Hyundai's C.E.O., John Krafcik, is quite candid about the limitations of battery vehicles and the superiority of fuel cells. But production of hydrogen cars is still a big question mark, and that means Hyundai/Kia needs plug-in cars to meet the California mandates.

There have been a number of long-distance electric car events held to counter perceptions about range limitations of EVs. The latest was last week's BC2BC-2013 Rally, in which eight electric cars and one electric motorcycle traveled from British Columbia to Baja, California. All but one successfully arrived, although the journey revealed weaknesses in electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Maybe 40 EV1s were saved and sent to universities. G.M. disabled them, but a few are driving again. Meanwhile, electric drag racer John Wayland is building an EV2, a Honda Insight with the heart (and soul) of an EV1.

An electric motorcycle won outright in the motorcycle division at the 2013 Pikes Peak Hill Climb race, which should send a wake-up call to the motorsports industry: The electrics are coming.

With its automatic software updates, comprehensive user-configurable settings, smartphone apps and a massive 17-inch touchscreen display, the Tesla Model S is one of the highest-tech cars available today. Clearly for some enthusiasts however, being able to open your panoramic sunroof, unlock your doors and honk the horn via the internet just isn’t cool enough.

For some, what will sell electric vehicles is performance, and electric racing events offer the chance to demolish EV stereotypes.

With barely a month left, an OSU student team is working overtime to complete a 400-mph Bonneville Salt Flats contender.

Adding aftermarket performance and tuning parts to a car in order to improve its performance and street cred is big business, covering everything from a total engine rebuild to lightened body panels, custom exhausts and lowered suspension. Traditionally, custom tuning has focused on powerful muscle cars, sports models, and Japanese four-cylinder imports, but now Nissan’s performance and motorsport devision is offering its services to owners of the all-electric Nissan LEAF.

In the United States, Tesla Motors is in the process of building a nationwide network of 120-kW superchargers, which can give EVs a convenience close to that of gas cars. In Europe though, super-fast charging is still a distant dream. Most people still haven't driven an electric car, so they have yet to understand that it's fast charging which gives EVs the ability to compete with the internal combustion engine.