Who can save the electric car?

When Neil Young set out last year to transform his 1959 Lincoln convertible into an electric car, he had a dream in sight: to make electric cars the norm, traversing highways from coast to coast. Teaming up with Wichita mechanic Johnathan Goodwin, the duo created the car as a model for a mass-produced electric-powered automobile. The electric car is definitely becoming the standard in cool eco-conscious circles. From a converted classic Lincoln to the sporty Tesla, move over Hybrids.

The documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? theorized that big business and oil industry lobbyists squashed the idea of the electric car, which otherwise might be something as common as a bicycle. But with rising oil prices, fleets of un-sold SUVS, and government programs for greater technology funding, the electric car is reemerging as an American dream once again. This year's auto show in Detroit presented a wealth of plug-in cars, and nine car companies have vowed to release an electric car on the marketplace by 2013.