Why did it take so long for electric cars to develop?

As other people have pointed out - battery technology has been the #1 limiting factor. This has been improved through the use of Lithium-Ion batteries, which are lighter, have more power density, and can recharge faster (but aren't without their own dangers - still have limited range, and can still take hours and hours to charge fully).

Extended range has been accomplished through the use of regenerative braking, solar panels - even wind turbines built into the vehicle (someone built a Ferrari kit car that used all three of these technologies).

As battery and other technology improve (Tesla is looking into a swappable battery to allow a driver to simply pull into a station and have a freshly charged battery dropped in rather than having to plug in and wait) it's going to still require people to make the shift.

Gas companies and car companies that exclusively make gas powered cars have resisted for years - as well as drivers who don't like the idea of a quiet car (although electric vehicles can often outperform their gas powered counterparts).

Some of the first electric cars were battery powered in the late 1800s. So, in that view, they were the past. Hybrid buses built by Fischer were being used in London and my Macy's in NYC way back int 1902!

Electric vehicles have been around for ages ... but they were slow and cumbersome and not a suitable alternative to cars. They used to be used for things like doorstep milk delivery or shunting in goods yards.

The obstacles to progress have been the control mechanisms for the vehicles and the storage capacity of the batteries and the cost of the batteries. We still do not have an ideal solution to the power problem. Even the current high-power lithium ion batteries have their own problems. They still cost a fortune. They still have a short working life. They still have limited range. They still require massive investment in charging networks.

Even if we solved all those problems, electric vehicles are still not the solution because of the high demand of recharging on the power network. The electricity supply network could not cope if we all had electric cars. It could only work if it was allowed to draw power BACK from highly charged vehicles or if the network had a way of stopping batteries from charging until power supply matched demand.

Battery technology and computerised control systems are advancing really fast ... but electric vehicles may prove to be a blind alley, a temporary distraction from more efficient, more sustainable motive systems. Electric vehicles, over their whole life (including manufacture and disposal), are no more green than petrol engines. We should be looking at more sensible transport solutions, maybe using hydrogen directly or in fuel cells.

Oil!

Off course. But the expense is astronomical. Not worth it in relation to a combustion engine (car).

Peace.

Short extension cords have been the real issue with electric power for cars. Either the car needs an electric generator (like train engines use..yep they are move forward with electric motors) or a really really long extension cord. The option is a really BIG BATTERY... which still is the issue. There have even been solar powered cars (they don't go very fast as solar cells can't produce the power needed for a big electric motor). Thus you have the issue of practicality! You have to power that electric motor it won't run without it.

Electric vehicles first appeared in the mid-19th century. An electric vehicle held the vehicular land speed record until around 1900. The high cost, low top speed, and short range of battery electric vehicles, compared to later internal combustion engine vehicles, led to a worldwide decline in their use; although electric vehicles have continued to be used in the form of electric trains and other niche uses.

Back in the late 1800's and early 1900's, most cars were electric. However battery technology was very basic and the driving range of the cars was very limited. Most of the cities in the USA didn't even have electricity to recharge the batteries.

The internal combustion engine became the preferred source of power for cars because you could haul a Tank Truck full of gasoline to anywhere and use it to refuel the vehicles. As a result gasoline service stations sprang up everywhere.

You couldn't haul a tanker full of electricity out in the boondocks to repower electric vehicles. You couldn't even have a supply of batteries to exchange because electricity to recharge them wasn't available.

The result is internal combustion engines have the infrastructure to refuel virtually anywhere in just a few minutes and resume operation. Electric cars have a limited range and require hours to recharge them, IF the operator can find someone that will let the operator use their electric connection to recharge the batteries. Someone has to pay for the electricity used to recharge the vehicles, electricity isn't free.

They are too heavy ,( battery ) short distance till recharge , need to be recharged ( takes time ) few place's have chargers , they are too pricey , repairs are higher ....too much of a pain to get a electric car still.