There are several organisations who are currently working very hard to improve batteries (and/or alternatives) for electric cars, and generating energy to top them up based on actions where the energy is currently wasted (such as braking), which should improve the distance quite dramatically.

Not only are the batteries etc and energy collection being improved, but the motors are being combined with conventional engines, so that the technology can be integrated into standard road cars.

The organisations I'm referring to are not the car manufacturers or companies that exist to promote a green agenda etc (although they are doing it too), but some of the most hi-tech R&D companies that are around, who have in the past created things like ABS brakes in a much shorter time than the more normal counterparts - namely the teams in Formula 1. There are several rule changes for next year, including the use of renewable energy under the name of KERS (kinetic energy recovery systems).