The Environment
Electric drive technology produces no emissions. Spent lithium ion batteries are not classified as a toxic substance like other battery technologies. The only limit on how clean these cars are to drive is how the local power plants produce their electricity. There are plenty of clean methods of energy production, like hydro-electric plants, wind and solar generators, and nuclear power plants.
Reduced Cost of Driving
Electric drive technology is no only cleaner than combustion (heat) engines of any kind, it is also more energy efficient. This means that a higher percentage of the energy you purchase to fuel your vehicle will be converted into miles traveled. It can cost as little as 1 cent per mile to drive an electric vehicle. That’s right, a 200 mile trip could cost you only 2 dollars instead of the 20 dollars it would cost in a gasoline fueled vehicle that gets 30 miles to the gallon.
Performance
One common misconception about electric vehicles is that they do no perform as well as their gasoline burning counterparts. This is definitely not true. Just look at such electric cars as the Tesla Roadster. The torque and power bands of electric motors are superior to those of gasoline engines. Another advantage of electric motors is their extended operating speed range. It is not uncommon for electric racing vehicle motors to be directly coupled to the drive shaft with no need for a transmission. This produces better acceleration characteristics.
Sustainability
Electric vehicles do not discriminate against power sources. Not only will electric vehicles run on batteries, they will also run on capacitors, hydrogen fuel cells, solar cells, or wind generators, to name just a few. You could even develop a hamster-wheel generator and be the world's first proud owner of a hamster fueled car.
Best Green Technology
The other green heat engine vehicles, like ethanol and vegetable oil, are just not feasible large scale solutions. There is no plausible way to produce enough ethanol or vegetable oil to power all the vehicles that are used every day. Not to mention if we did develop some new method of producing huge amounts of these fuels, their production and combustion have byproducts that could pose future ecological threats.
Upgradeability
Electric drive technology based on standards is much more upgradeable than traditional gasoline engines. That means when it comes time to replace or upgrade your engine, you will have more options. You will have your choice of a number of electric motor manufacturers and power ranges. When new energy storage technologies hit the shelves, like hydrogen fuel cells, you will be able to just plug them in and go.