This Article on Tesla Motors reminded me of a potential solution to the range problem with electric vehicles.
Slot Cars!
Start with the Interstates and put an inductance coil down the middle of a lane and let the car pick up electrical power from the road. This way it can reserve its on-board batteries for when it is off the grid, or off-road.
The road power can be delivered by roadside solar panels, wind power, or by the national grid as needed. With feedback between the car and the road, cars can be zipping along at 50 mps or better, with some sort of auto-piloting.
Then expand to convert other US Routes and the rest of the country can slowly follow suit.
Slot cars, that the ticket.
Sounds good until you want to overtake someone then all hell breaks loose!
Ahh, but there is never a need to overtake anyone because everyone is traveling as fast as possible. The road controls the spacing and the speed of the cars. If one car can’t handle the higher speeds that others can, then the road can arrange to shunt it to a slower lane and let the faster cars pass.