What is an Electric Vehicle? An electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using electrical energy stored in rechargeable batteries or another energy storage device. Electric motors give electric cars instant torque, creating strong and smooth acceleration. How does An Electric Vehicle works? The electric vehicle power source is the battery which acts as a "gas tank" and supplies the electric motor with the energy necessary to move the vehicle. This gives the car acceleration. When the vehicle is idle there is no electrical current being processed, so energy is not being used up. The controller acts as a regulator, and controls the amount of power received from the batteries so the motor does not burn out. This battery powers all of the electronic devices in the car, just like the battery in a gas-powered car. Everything else in the electric car is basically the same as i...