The popularity of electric cars is beginning to sweep the nation, but nowhere so much as in Elk Horn, where one can find the highest concentration of public charging stations anywhere in the world. The community has plans to build four more stations there in the next few months, bringing the total to eight.

AASHTO's Transportation TV spoke with Mike Howard, the 57-year-old businessman who is a chief cheerleader for electric cars in his community.

"We are really prepositioned here way ahead of the curve," he said. "We are confident that when electric cars come, we have a location where people can charge their vehicles, enjoy our town, and then be able to continue on their journey."

Howard hopes to expand the presence of public charging stations along the Interstate 80 corridor, linking Elk Horn (population 600) to hundreds of thousands of travelers crossing the Midwest.

In this Transportation TV report, Howard describes both the advantages and challenges that come with electric cars. They cost less to operate than traditional gas-powered vehicles -- a visit to the charging station costs only about $1 a day. Trips in electric cars must be carefully planned since the vehicles generally travel 80 to 100 miles between charging, and recharging can take four to eight hours.

Howard predicts that in the near future, the number of electric vehicles on the road will increase significantly.

"My prediction is maybe 70% to 80% of the population will have electric vehicles in 10 to 15 years," Howard said.

Watch the full video at www.TransportationTV.org.