The folks over at Plug-In America deserve credit for noticing this pending milestone, which demonstrates a major shift in how Americans are thinking about their personal transportation.  So far, 100,000 families have chosen an alternative to the type of cars that they grew up with, and presumably, thought cars would always be. 100,000 families decided to choose an unfamiliar technology—and perhaps even pay more for it—because they believed in something better than gasoline. So far, they have been backed by the installation of 5,894 public charging stations, according to Department of Energy statistics. We don’t know how much fuel has been saved, but we know that it’s a lot, and that the number is growing. The road to 100,000 vehicles has not been as smooth and expeditious as some might have hoped, but there have inarguably been impressive accomplishments along the way. While not all of the startup companies which tried to tap into the electric vehicle movement are still producing EVs, the ones which have made it through the rocky initial stages are showing signs of progress and promise. The three biggest sellers—the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, and Tesla Model S—are not only selling well now, but have set the stage for further market growth. The 2014 Chevy Volt, in addition to incorporating improved range and light-weighing technology, will be as much as $10,000 cheaper than the 2013 model, and the Volt powertrain is being incorporated into an upcoming Cadillac model. Earlier this week, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn reiterated his support for the Leaf, and electric vehicles  in general, while also expressing his long-term vision for an industry which thrives without incentives, based on the importance of the technology and consumer acceptance. Meanwhile, Tesla Motors’ share price has skyrocketed, the Model S Sedan has won Consumer Reports’ highest rating in history, and the company is selling shares in order to repay its Department of Energy Loan ahead of schedule. Furthermore, the public-private cooperation which has been so instrumental to the success of the electric vehicle movement continues. Just within the past week, AAA has launched a digital tool to help educate motorists about electric vehicles, while the State of Colorado extended its electric vehicle tax incentive through 2022, and expanded the definition of qualified vehicles to include plug-in hybrids such as the Volt. For a movement which has suffered so much negative press and naysaying, 100,000 vehicles is a huge accomplishment. Even in just the second year of the fledgling industry, the obituary was written many times, but our view is pretty straight-forward: this is only the beginning.