Why are electric cars derided?

[Deja Q]

Apart from the obvious speed issue; but then I've always felt "society" goes way too fast for its own good in the first place...?

[GOPisEvil]

1. The limited range is an issue, too.

[Az]

2. Many reasons

The advances in battery technology have been largely stagnant for decades. They have not increased in capacity in any sufficient manner. Thus it takes a ton of batteries to get any decent distance. Add to that the charge time and its a significant road block.

Secondarily just because the vehicle is electric it doesn't mean the original juice came from an environmentally friendly source. Gasoline is still more efficient a means of conveying energy. Its just the environmental issues and scarcity that make it a bad choice.

Batteries mean lots of acid. Throw a battery away and you have an environmental problem. If they become the dominant form of energy compound it.

[Kellanved]

3. Range and philosophy

Lead batteries are too heavy, lithium batteries are too expensive to maintain.

Fuel cells are still not quite mass market ready and there is no distribution system in sight.
Another reason is the dependency on electricity; the idea of the electric car(including fuel cell/hydrogen cars) is from the time when fusion reactors seemed only a small step away and people still believed nuclear to be cheap and clean.
Electric car essentially means nuclear powered car, an option that never manifested itself.