As sophisticated as the i8 is, we are still in the early stages of the electric car game. What I suspect is light hybrid with a petrol motor will become the dominant drive train in North America as a result of the 55 mpg fuel efficiency rule. By light hybrid I mean just enough battery storage to capture braking energy. With the other tricks available now like stop start, turbocharging and direct injection, I think it is possible to get there.
The breakthrough everyone is looking for is increased energy density in batteries, especially without expensive rare earths. There is a huge amount of research going on, but no product yet.
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