EVs run without producing any emissions directly from the vehicle. However, the power plants that produce electricity for EVs do create emissions, which are called "upstream emissions." EVs allow for flexibility in power generation systems (e.g., nuclear in France, coal in the USA, hydroelectric in Canada). Even allowing for the power lost in distributing electricity from a central power plant to local wall outlets, such a system is still very efficient.
 
EVs are easy to recharge. They can recharge from wall outlets overnight, during off-peak hours for electricity generation, and therefore do not require significant additional capacity from municipal power companies. Compared to internal combustion engines, electric motors have fewer moving parts and are therefore inherently more reliable and need less maintenance.
 
EVs can also recapture power through regenerative braking. When decelerating an internal-combustion vehicle, the brakes convert the vehicle's kinetic energy into heat, which is lost to the air. By contrast, a decelerating EV can convert kinetic energy into electricity, which can be reused to power the vehicle.
 
EVs have less power and lower range than fuel engine vehicles, and are expensive. Cold weather reduces their efficiency as does the heavy use of auxiliary systems (such as air conditioning) which sap power that is needed to run the vehicle. Batteries store energy less efficiently than gasoline does, and recharging a battery takes much longer than refueling a gas tank. Furthermore, batteries can be difficult to dispose of and expensive to replace.
 
In 1835 the first electric car was invented by Professor Stratinghe, Groningen, from The Netherlands. From 1910 EVs have been used on golf courses, in factories, on college and industrial campuses, and as transit buses, because they are quiet and have no exhaust emissions. In the 1990s GM and Honda, as well as several smaller companies, introduced electric vehicles to the California market.