Yet over a century ago, in the early 1900s, some regions actually had more electric cars than gasoline-powered ones. By 1899, sixty electric cars roamed New York streets; a year later, the number had grown to 1,575. The Decline of Electric CarsBy the 1920s, electric cars rapidly disappeared from streets. Gasoline cars offered superior range and refueling convenience, which electric cars could not match. Active work in these areas suggests that the electric vehicle renaissance—over 100 years in the making—is finally approaching its moment.