You really don't want to like EV's do you? What is it with EV cars that frightens you so? Do you own stock in GM or something?
The fact is that AC Propulsions 'tzero' car can go from Silicon Valley to Los Angeles (300+ miles) at highway speeds one one charge. It also has better accelleration then a ferrari or porche. How is this a 'toy' car? Sure it looks funky but it's from a small manufacturer trying to prove a point! For more info see this link
http://www.acpropulsion.com/ACP_tzero/SEMAtrip2003.htm
They are also developing a Scion Xb convertion (it will look just as normal as the Rav IV and Ford Pick-up if different scares you). This car exists as a prototype at the moment ant will have a range of either 150 miles or 300 miles (depending upon how many battery packs ordered) at highway speed and on one charge. This car will also outperform all normal cars.
How are these toy cars? I consider the Prius 'old' technology and rather dated. It's a shame that we went backwards and ended up with rather limited hybrids when GM, FORD and TOYOTA had fully functional EV cars on the market (using very old battery technology) 10 years ago
Me and my Fiancee are planning on buying a Scion Xb EV car from ACPropulsion as soon as they are available. Once we get that one I will never have to go to a gas station again! I will simply spend 4 seconds plugging the car in at night and then unplugging it in the morning. I trade those 4 seconds from ever haveing to stand in-line at a pump again!
So EV cars are fairly viable cars. Sure, most people can't rely on a EV car alone, but most households have two cars already. Having an EV car and a old tech hybrid would be the perfect combination. The person with the longer commute could use the EV car daily. And then when you really have to do more then 150 miles/day (rare!) you can use your hybrid.
So yeah EV cars are viable today. The main thing at the moment is battery prize/technology. Though it looks like both problems are being solved.
There where many reason that EV cars where killed. One was def. cost (they didn't make money on them) but another was that CA's CARB requirements where reduced after our friendly car manufacturers sued them. As soon as CA changed their emission standard the EV cars where killed even though they had proven themself fully functional and working.
If you want more information about EV cars take a look at this page:
http://www.darelldd.com/ev/
For a private page from a person who uses his EV car as the main car in his family.