What Is An Electric Vehicle
Difference Between Combustion & Electric
History of Electric Vehicle
Rebirth of Electric Vehicle

Thomas Edison poses alongside the Bailey Roadster that survived a 1000 mile run (US Department of Interior, National Park Service, Edison National Historic Site)

HISTORY OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Electric Vehicles (EV) are not a new phenomenom. In fact, EVs have a history of over 100 years. They enjoyed much popularity between the mid-19th century and early 20th century, when electricity was the preferred method for propulsion.

The EV was silent, clean, and simple to operate. However, its range was limited by the charge of its batteries. Thus, EVs were restricted to areas where they could easily return home to recharge or where recharging facilities were made available by a local electric power company.

Early EVs were slow compared to steam or gasoline-powered cars, with the normal cruising speed being less than 20 miles per hour. Higher than normal speeds cut down on the range that, in the early days, would only be about 25 to 40 miles. EVs enjoyed some success in the early years of the last century but ceased to be a viable commercial product by about 1920.

Subsequent advances in ICE technology and the invention of the electric starter negated this advantage; the greater range of gasoline cars, quicker refueling times, and growing petroleum infrastructure, along with the mass production of gasoline vehicles by companies such as the Ford Motor Company (which reduced prices of gasoline cars to less than half that of equivalent electric cars), led to a decline in the use of electric propulsion, effectively removing it from the world’s automotive market.

Additional EV History Links:
»   History of Electric Vehicles
»   The Early Years of Electric Cars (1890-1930)
»   EV Timeline
»   Electric Vehicles In The Early Years Of The Automobile