Tesla, other electric vehicles poised to enter the mainstream - Environment - MiamiHerald.com

The new wave of EVs just beginning to hit American highways is not the first - they were popular a century ago until cheaper, gasoline-powered cars gained dominance after World War I. But experts say the stars now appear to be aligned for an alternative to the internal combustion engine.

"This time it feels real," said Roland Hwang, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's transportation programs....General Electric has already ordered 12,000 Volts.

"It appears we've underestimated," said Tony Posawatz, the GM executive in charge of the Volt, adding that GM plans to make at least 15,000 Volts this year. "It's still early in the launch, but we're getting more and more feedback that the demand is out there. It's very much like using a smartphone - once people have the experience of driving electrically, they don't want to go back."