Electric vehicles competed head to head with gasoline cars around the beginning of the twentieth century but soon faded from the marketplace. They failed in the United States and elsewhere because electricity-recharging infrastructure was too sparse, batteries were far inferior to present ones, and the technology did not match well with the contemporary market. After batteries were made more reliable around 1907, electric vehicles made a brief resurgence, but limited-range cars had little appeal. In recent times, circumstances have changed, environmental issues are more central, and batteries continue to be improved. It remains to be seen whether the rapid pace of electric vehicle technology will continue and whether it will lead to other types of electric drive vehicles.