How does an electric car work?

On the outside, most electric cars look exactly like gas-powered cars. An electric car does not have a tailpipe or a gas tank, but the overall structure is basically the same. Instead of a huge engine, an electric car uses an electric motor to convert electric energy stored in batteries into mechanical energy. Different combinations of generating mechanisms—solar panels, generative braking, internal combustion engines driving a generator, fuel cells—and storage mechanisms are used in electric vehicles.