Are E-Car Charging Stations The Next Must-have Amenity?

Could recharging stations for electric cars be the next must-have accessory in upscale housing, now that wine cellars and bathrooms the size of some apartments are out of vogue?

Could be. Electric cars are all the rage at this week's auto show in Detroit. Manufacturers plan to roll out three models in the next three years.

Beyond the Motor City, the Obama administration seems serious about getting a million of these things on the road in the next five years. A McKinsey and Co. study announced this week by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg predicts that up to 15 percent of new cars in the Big Apple might be electric in that same time frame.

Problem is, all of those electric car batteries need to be recharged, and that requires infrastructure, in the form of a network of charging stations.