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Show Is The Electric Car Coming On Scene? , Electric automobiles have gone on sale in several cities in the last year. One, which appeared in July in some areas, sells for $2,900 with radio and heater and gets 50 miles of driving from one battery charge. THE OWNER plugs the battery into a 110-volt house outlet and lets the charge continue throughout the night. The estimated recharge cost is 25 cents, which means the owner is buzzing about for half a cent a mile. Since most American cars cost several times as much, per mile, to drive, the electric car holds a fascination for many. Its quietness is also a major attraction and it doesn't pollute the air. BUT ELECTRIC cars aren't new. They were built early in the century when some thought they would win the competition with internal combustion engines. Their limiting factor is endurance. en-durance. The heavier the car the greater the problem of battery-power. Thus electric cars tend to be small and less then luxurious. THERE SHOULD be a good market for such cars in cities, for shopping and short-distance travel where traffic congestion and smog are already critical problems, and where gasoline prices tend to be highest. If science can produce more durable and powerful bat-tiers, bat-tiers, either smaller in size or lighter in weight, the future of the electric car, which is now utilized by municipal authorities in some French cities, will be even brighter. |