Electric Vehicle usage in the 19th and 20th Century

Early Development:

The first electric vehicle was built in Scotland some time during the 1830s.  I have not been able to find an exact date but it appears to be some time between 1834 and 1837.  It was built before the development of the rechargeable battery, which was invented by Gastonia Plante in 1859, so it was not a very practical approach.

The first electric vehicle in America was a tricycle built by A. L. Ryker.   Another pioneer was William Morrison who built a six passenger wagon in 1891.  In 1894, Pedro Salom and Henry G Morris founded the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company in Philadelphia.  Later that year they produced their first electric car, the Electrobat.  They never marketed this car but instead set up a fleet of electric cabs in New York.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, several manufacturers began selling electric vehicles.  This included the C. E. Woods Company that began selling a line of electric cars and trucks in 1896. Woods was still around in 1916 and produced a hybrid car that had both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.  The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has a 1917 Woods Hybrid that they are currently attempting to raise the money to do a complete restoration.  1897 saw the Anthony Electric.  The Petersen has a vehicle on display that is a replica of the Anthony Electric that was beleived to have been built arond 1920.

Waverly began selling electric cars in 1896.  Between 1903 and 1907 their cars were sold as the Pope Waverly.  They built their last car in 1914.  Edward Riker began selling a line of cars in 1897 and in that same year, the Pope Manufacturing Company maker of Columbia bicycles also began selling an electric car.  At this time, Pope was the only automobile manufacturer that was building cars in big enough volume to be classified as a "major producer".

On May 1, 1899, an electric vehicle, La Jamais Contente (Never Contented) became the first road vehicle to exceed 100 Km/hr. By the end of the 19th Century, electric vehicles competed directly with both steam and the internal combustion engine.  An electric vehicle held the land speed record and these vehicles, being clean and not requiring a hand crank to start them, were a favorite with lady motorist.

The electric vehicle reached its pinnacle around 1913.  At its peak, more than twenty seven companies were building electric vehicles.  However, several things were coming together that were to spell the end for the EV.  The most cited is the introduction of the starter motor, available on all 1913 model Cadilacs.   Another was the general availability of gas stations, started by Chevron and soon imitated by the other oil producers.  Another factor was the growth of interest in long road trips.  The electric vehicles were heavy and tended to get bogged down when the unpaved roads of the day turned to mud after a rain.  In addition the short range meant that they needed to be charged on a regular basis.  However, in the early part of the century there was no standard for electricity.  Some companies were using the DC systems preferred by Edison, while others used AC system championed by Tessler and Westinghouse.  Some companies were using 110 volt, others used 220.  As a result, getting your vehicle charged was often difficult.  Another problem was that many homes did not yet have electricity which ruled out the ability to charge at home.

By 1916 the number of companies producing electric cars had dropped to nineteen.   Argo, Brock and Borland had merged to form the American Electric Car Company.   Baker had joined with Rauch and lang and begun to sell electric trucks under the name Baker-Raulang.  The Waverley Company which sold cars under the Pope Waverley brand ceased operation in 1914 and Woods closed it doors in 1919.  In the 1920s, orders from a loyal band of electric car owners, mostly wealthy women, allowed companies like Baker, Milburn and Detroit electric to limp along.  Other companies like Studebaker switched to production of gasoline powered vehicles.  By the 1930s, electric cars were only being made to special order and when Detroit Electric built it's last car in 1935, the first era of electric vehicles came to a close.

In the 1970s, the oil crisis renewed interest in Electric Vehicles.  The most popular of this new breed of vehicle was the Citicar built by sebring in Florida. Designed by Bob Beaumont, at least 2200 of these vehicles were sold and many of them are still in use today.  But as the oil crisis receded, production of the Citi Car ended.  The company was sold and an improved version, called the Comutercar was released with little success.  Bob Beaumont went on to found Renaissance Motors which built a sleek electric sports car called the Tropica.  Renaissance Motors went into receivership and was bought out by a group of it's shareholders who are now trying to manufacturing the car under the name Zebra Motors.

Several other vehicles were also sold during the seventies.  This included the Elcar which was produced in Italy and the Free-Way, a three wheeler that could be bought in either ICE or electric versions. 

Since then, the electric car has been kept alive by a small group of enthusiasts and a dozen or so companies such as Green Works Motors that convert cars to electric power.   Several companies have taken standard ICE vehicles and converted them to electric.   These include the Henney Kilowatt which is a converted Renault Dauphine,   The Lectric Leopard which is based on the Renault 5.  Solar Electrics converted several models including the Ford Escort and the Destiny 2000 which is a two seater sports car based on the Pontiac Fiero.