ESCAPING FROM THE PROTOTYPE TRAP: EV VENTURE FIRMS AND THEIR STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL. IN: ELECTRIC VEHICLES: SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROSPECTS AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES

This chapter, part of a book on socioeconomic and technological factors in electric vehicle adoption, discusses car design and the step-by-step development of the electric vehicle. The development of the electric vehicle is seen as moving between two worlds--one being the existing car manufacturers and the other being the small builders of electric vehicles. Transition from prototype to production model requires several identifiable stages, with each stage demanding specific inputs. When these inputs (including government support and support from an established automotive player) are lacking, the transition is not successful. Case studies are used to show some of the strategies that pioneers have applied in developing their electric vehicle.