Cost

Electric vehicles, given their expensive batteries, generally cost more than similarly equipped and capable fossil fueled-cousins.

"The major con for electric vehicles is cost; they cannot be purchased without a premium over a conventional vehicle, and that premium is significant," said Pat Davis, program manager of vehicle technologies at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

The basic Volt, for example, lists for $41,000 (the Leaf goes for $33,720). After the federal tax break, the Volt's price tag drops to $33,500, placing it in competition with luxury sedans such as the base BMW 328i, the Audi A4, and the Infiniti G37, according to Edmunds.com. (Chevy's website likes to compare the Volt to the $57,950 Lexus GS Hybrid.)

Yes, in the long run, savings on gas will make up for an initial extra investment. A fully charged Leaf battery with a range of 100 miles (160 kilometers) costs about $2.75, based on the national average electricity cost of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to Nissan. That's on par with the current national gas price for a single gallon of gasoline at $2.80, according to the Energy Information Administration, which, depending on your vehicle, will take you only 25 miles (40 km) or so.

Nevertheless, the reality is that seeing those savings in fuel costs compensate for the extra up-front costs will take a good part of most of the life of the vehicle, Davis said, and "that’s not the way most people buy vehicles, so that’s a major con."

Over the next decade and beyond, electric vehicle batteries will get much cheaper, though, Davis noted, aided in large part by the $2.4 billion the Obama administration has dedicated to their domestic manufacturing and deployment. "Right now, advanced batteries cost $800 per kilowatt-hour," Davis said. "Our modeling shows [that by] about the middle of this decade prices drop to $400 per kilowatt-hour."

Those savings will not cut the entire price of an electric vehicle in half, of course, but will certainly make the rides more affordable for all.

5 Reasons to Buy an Electric Vehicle Later