Between
1832 and 1839 (the exact year is uncertain), Robert Anderson of Scotland
invented the first crude electric carriage. A small-scale electric car
was designed by Professor Stratingh of Groningen, Holland, and built by his assistant Christopher
Becker in 1835. Practical
and more successful electric road vehicles were invented by both American
Thomas Davenport and Scotsmen Robert Davidson around 1842. Both inventors
were the first to use non-rechargeable electric cells. Frenchmen Gaston
Plante invented a better storage battery in 1865 and his fellow countrymen
Camille Faure improved the storage battery in 1881. This improved-capacity
storage battery paved the way for electric vehicles to flourish.
France and Great Britain were the
first nations to support the widespread development of electric vehicles
in the late 1800s. In 1899, a Belgian built
electric racing car called "La Jamais Contente" set a world record for
land speed - 68 mph - designed by Camille Jénatzy.
It was not until 1895 that Americans
began to devote attention to electric vehicles after an electric tricycle
was built by A. L. Ryker and William Morrison built a six-passenger wagon
both in 1891. Many innovations followed and interest in motor vehicles
increased greatly in the late 1890s and early 1900s. In 1897, the first
commercial application was established as a fleet of New York City taxis
built by the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia.
The
early electric vehicles, such as the 1902 Wood's Phaeton (top image), were
little more than electrified horseless carriages and surreys. The Phaeton
had a range of 18 miles, a top speed of 14 mph and cost $2,000. Later in
1916, Woods invented a hybrid car that had both an internal combustion
engine and an electric motor.
By
the turn of the century, America was prosperous and cars, now available
in steam, electric, or gasoline versions, were becoming more popular. The
years 1899 and 1900 were the high point of electric cars in America, as
they outsold all other types of cars. Electric vehicles had many advantages
over their competitors in the early 1900s. They did not have the vibration,
smell, and noise associated with gasoline cars.
Changing gears on gasoline cars was the most difficult part of driving,
while electric vehicles did not require gear changes. While steam-powered
cars also had no gear shifting, they suffered from long start-up times
of up to 45 minutes on cold mornings. The steam cars had less range before
needing water than an electric's range on a single charge. The only good
roads of the period were in town, causing most travel to be local commuting,
a perfect situation for electric vehicles, since their range was limited.
The electric vehicle was the preferred choice of many because it did not
require the manual effort to start, as with the hand crank on gasoline
vehicles, and there was no wrestling with a gear shifter.
While basic electric cars cost under
$1,000, most early electric vehicles were ornate, massive carriages designed
for the upper class. They had fancy interiors, with expensive materials,
and averaged $3,000 by 1910. Electric vehicles enjoyed success into the
1920s with production peaking in 1912.
The decline of the electric vehicle
was brought about by several major developments:
-
By the 1920s, America had a better system
of roads that now connected cities, bringing with it the need for longer-range
vehicles.
-
The discovery of Texas crude oil reduced
the price of gasoline so that it was affordable to the average consumer.
-
The invention of the electric starter
by Charles Kettering in 1912
eliminated the need for the hand crank.
-
The initiation of mass production of
internal combustion engine vehicles by Henry
Ford made these vehicles widely available and affordable in the $500
to $1,000 price range. By contrast, the price of the less efficiently produced
electric vehicles continued to rise. In 1912, an electric roadster sold
for $1,750, while a gasoline car sold for $650.
Next
page > History of Electric Cars -
The
Middle Years (1930 - 1990)
Photos and
partial information provided by the U. S. Department of Energy
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