Why Did The Electric Car Fail?

It is amazing to think that 100 years ago there were more electric cars on the road than gas. So where did all the electric cars go to? Why did the technology stop with regard to the electric car and move so swiftly to the gas guzzlers of today. Some say it was all tied up with big business making big money. I am prone to agree and  so do others on the many Car Forums that give peoples opinions. What is more amazing is that there have been many governments that want to get a cleaner and cheaper form of transport and yet the electric car industry has never got off the ground.