Electric battery common fuels such as gasoline. In automobiles, this is somewhat offset by the higher efficiency of electric motors in converting chemical energy to mechanical work, compared to combustion engines. The usage of "battery" to describe a group of electrical devices dates to Benjamin Franklin, who in 1748 described multiple Leyden jars by analogy to a battery of cannon (Benjamin Franklin borrowed the term "battery" from the military, which refers to weapons functioning together). Italian physicist Alessandro Volta built and described the first electrochemical battery, the voltaic pile, in 1800. This was a stack of copper and zinc plates, separated by
Plug-in electric vehicles in Canada vehicles. Battery electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles and plug-in hybrids with battery capacity of 15.0 kWh and above are eligible for a incentive. Also effective December 1, 2011, rebates of up to per qualifying electric vehicle charging equipment will be available to B.C. residents who have purchased a clean energy vehicle. Plug-in electric vehicles in Canada Cumulative sales of plug-in electric cars in Canada passed the 20,000 unit mark in May 2016, and the 30,000 unit mark in January 2017. The Chevrolet Volt, released in 2011, is the all-time top selling plug-in electric vehicle in the country, with cumulative sales