The electric airsoft Guns differ from other airsoft guns, because they use electrical power from an onboard battery to drive a motor that turns gears inside the gun to compress and release a piston. This piston then creates a blast of air that propels the BB. They are often called automatic electric guns or AEGS, because they are capable of a Rate of Fire (ROF) of 300 to 900 rounds per minute (RPM), and their muzzle velocities range from 200 to 400 feet per second.

The creation of the automatic electric gun or AEG was the result of immense popularity gained by airsoft guns during the 1990s. In the search for a better-performing, more efficient and powerful airsoft gun, Japan developed the first Electric airsoft gun. With the passage of time, the guns began to look increasingly realistic owing to external modifications such as metal bodies and reinforced plastics, and the popularity of the AEG also increased with each improvement.

The most popular electric airsoft guns are manufactured by the Tokyo Marui, a Japanese airsoft gun manufacturer. The Marui AEG has a motor that drives a series of 3 gears mounted inside a gearbox. This makes it one of the most powerful airsoft guns on the market. Modifications and replicas of this model made by other manufacturers are widely available. Tokyo Marui has also introduced the automatic electric pistol or AEP, the first electric powered handgun capable of full-automatic fire.

Electric airsoft guns are the most popular and widely available airsoft guns in the international markets, greatly preferred by skirmish veterans.