London: The hope that battery-operated cars can save the earth's climate by reducing carbon emission is just a "fantasy".
According to experts, the technology used for electric car batteries is so backward that they will die within two years.
The so-called energy efficient cars will be extremely expensive and cover far less distance on one battery charge than the manufacturers claim, they said.
The research carried out by the Institution of Engineering and Technology suggests that claims about the performance of electric vehicles are "pure fantasy".
The researchers found the batteries are likely to burn out within two years, requiring expensive replacements.
The batteries, which use the same lithium-ion technology as mobile phones, are unlikely to be able to run for more than 100 miles (160 km) between charges, the Daily Mail reported.
Experts said the gap in performance between conventional cars and electric vehicles is so huge that consumers will not want to convert their vehicles to electric ones.
Citing the examples of Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf which is capable of travelling more than 360 miles (576 km)on one tank of fuel, the researchers said, for an electric car to offer a similar level of performance, the batteries alone would weigh 1.5 tonnes.
They would be larger than an entire conventional car and cost approximately 100,000 pounds sterling, they warned.
IANS
First Published: Friday, June 18, 2010, 10:22