Electric cars have a long history, that can't just be eliminated
While electric vehicles (EV) have only recently begun to challenge the internal combustion engine (ICE) for the future of our roads, EVs have been around for over a century. The long history of EVs has been one of many twists and turns.
Many people don’t know that at the turn of the 20th century, there were actually more EVs on the road than gasoline-powered ICE vehicles. This prevalence was challenged, however, when Ford’s moving assembly line made passenger cars more accessible. Ford, empowered by the knowledge that gasoline was more widely available than electricity, built a transport system based on gasoline that would last over a hundred years.
Whilst there were those tinkering with electric mobility in the intermittent decades, it wasn’t until the dawn of the next century that EVs saw light again. Fast forward 20 years and EVs have well and truly returned stronger than ever.
The history of EVs is an interesting tale filled with many twists that gave rise to this nascent technology. This article gives an overview of the history of electric vehicles, the current state of electric mobility, and what the future is predicted to hold for the EV revolution.
The brief history of electric vehicles
The history of electric cars can be broken up into five distinct periods: the early pioneers of electric mobility (1830-1880), the transition to motorized transport (1880-1914), the rise of the internal combustion engine (1914-1970), the return of electric vehicles (1970-2003), the electric revolution (2003-2020), and the tipping point (2021 and beyond).
An infographic showcasing the history of the electric vehicle from the 1830s until today.
The early pioneers of electric mobility (1830-1880)
Throughout the early 1800s, a series of technological breakthroughs in batteries and motors led to the first electric vehicles by engineering and automotive pioneers on both sides of the Atlantic.
When was the first electric car made?
As early as the 1830s, inventors in Hungary, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US were focusing their efforts on combining these technological advances to create a powered motor vehicle. Although it’s a disputed topic, many say the first small-scale electric cars were developed between 1828-1832.
Who made the first electric car?
It is said that the first electric vehicle was displayed at an industry conference in 1835 by a British inventor by the name of Robert Anderson. Robert Anderson’s vehicle used a disposable battery powered by crude oil to turn the wheels.
Anderson was not alone in his pursuit of electric mobility. Around the same period, Hungarian scientist Ányos Jedlik and Dutch professor Sibrandus Stratingh both invented model electric vehicles. And on the other side of the Atlantic, Thomas Davenport, an American blacksmith-turned-inventor is also said to have invented integral components of the electric motor which produced the first electric car.
However, all were little more than prototypes of electrified carts—travelling at top speeds of 12 km/h with cumbersome steering, and little range. Then in the 1860s, a French physicist by the name of Gaston Plante invented the first rechargeable lead-acid battery—a huge breakthrough for electric mobility. However, it wasn’t until the late 1880s that these inventions batteries and electric motors were put together by electric mobility pioneer William Morrison to create the first “practical” EV.
What was the first electric car?
In the US, the first “practical” electric car was built by William Morrison, a chemist who lived in Des Moines, Iowa. Morrison’s vehicle was a traditional horse-drawn Surrey carriage—popular in 19th Century America—which was converted to fit a battery. Morrison’s electric carriage could carry a maximum of 12 people and had a maximum speed of 32 km/h (20 miles per hour).
The transition to motorized transport (1880-1914)
Around the turn of the 20th century, many people began swapping in their horses and carts for motorized vehicles. As a result, the automobile rapidly grew in popularity and the battle for the future of mobility commenced. The options? Steam, gasoline, or electric.
At that time, there was a fairly even split between the three on American roads: roughly 40 percent of vehicles were powered by steam, 38 percent were electric, and only 22 percent by gasoline.
While electric vehicles (EV) have only recently begun to challenge the internal combustion engine (ICE) for the future of our roads, EVs have been around for over a century. The long history of EVs has been one of many twists and turns.
Many people don’t know that at the turn of the 20th century, there were actually more EVs on the road than gasoline-powered ICE vehicles. This prevalence was challenged, however, when Ford’s moving assembly line made passenger cars more accessible. Ford, empowered by the knowledge that gasoline was more widely available than electricity, built a transport system based on gasoline that would last over a hundred years.
Whilst there were those tinkering with electric mobility in the intermittent decades, it wasn’t until the dawn of the next century that EVs saw light again. Fast forward 20 years and EVs have well and truly returned stronger than ever.
The history of EVs is an interesting tale filled with many twists that gave rise to this nascent technology. This article gives an overview of the history of electric vehicles, the current state of electric mobility, and what the future is predicted to hold for the EV revolution.
The brief history of electric vehicles
The history of electric cars can be broken up into five distinct periods: the early pioneers of electric mobility (1830-1880), the transition to motorized transport (1880-1914), the rise of the internal combustion engine (1914-1970), the return of electric vehicles (1970-2003), the electric revolution (2003-2020), and the tipping point (2021 and beyond).
An infographic showcasing the history of the electric vehicle from the 1830s until today.
The early pioneers of electric mobility (1830-1880)
Throughout the early 1800s, a series of technological breakthroughs in batteries and motors led to the first electric vehicles by engineering and automotive pioneers on both sides of the Atlantic.
When was the first electric car made?
As early as the 1830s, inventors in Hungary, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US were focusing their efforts on combining these technological advances to create a powered motor vehicle. Although it’s a disputed topic, many say the first small-scale electric cars were developed between 1828-1832.
Who made the first electric car?
It is said that the first electric vehicle was displayed at an industry conference in 1835 by a British inventor by the name of Robert Anderson. Robert Anderson’s vehicle used a disposable battery powered by crude oil to turn the wheels.
Anderson was not alone in his pursuit of electric mobility. Around the same period, Hungarian scientist Ányos Jedlik and Dutch professor Sibrandus Stratingh both invented model electric vehicles. And on the other side of the Atlantic, Thomas Davenport, an American blacksmith-turned-inventor is also said to have invented integral components of the electric motor which produced the first electric car.
However, all were little more than prototypes of electrified carts—travelling at top speeds of 12 km/h with cumbersome steering, and little range. Then in the 1860s, a French physicist by the name of Gaston Plante invented the first rechargeable lead-acid battery—a huge breakthrough for electric mobility. However, it wasn’t until the late 1880s that these inventions batteries and electric motors were put together by electric mobility pioneer William Morrison to create the first “practical” EV.
What was the first electric car?
In the US, the first “practical” electric car was built by William Morrison, a chemist who lived in Des Moines, Iowa. Morrison’s vehicle was a traditional horse-drawn Surrey carriage—popular in 19th Century America—which was converted to fit a battery. Morrison’s electric carriage could carry a maximum of 12 people and had a maximum speed of 32 km/h (20 miles per hour).
The transition to motorized transport (1880-1914)
Around the turn of the 20th century, many people began swapping in their horses and carts for motorized vehicles. As a result, the automobile rapidly grew in popularity and the battle for the future of mobility commenced. The options? Steam, gasoline, or electric.
At that time, there was a fairly even split between the three on American roads: roughly 40 percent of vehicles were powered by steam, 38 percent were electric, and only 22 percent by gasoline.
Steam vehicles had been growing in popularity since the 1870s and held a slim majority over the US market at the turn of the century, yet they had major setbacks which ultimately led to their downfall. Steam vehicles required startup times up to 45 minutes and continuously needed to be refilled with water, limiting their range. In the end, while steam was reliable for powering factories and trains, it proved not to be very practical for personal vehicles.
Around the same time as William Morrison was working on his electric-powered carriage, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz simultaneously developed the world's first automobiles in 1886 in Germany. However, gasoline-powered cars required the driver to change gears and start the vehicle with a heavy hand crank. They were also far noisier than their steam or electric cousins and emitted pollutants from their exhausts.
In comparison to the two other vehicle types on the market, electric cars proved to be a competitive option. They did not emit any of the unpleasant pollutants, require changing gears, or have long startup times. This meant that they were easier to drive and they were much quieter too.
As a result, electric cars quickly became popular with urban residents where electricity was readily available and as more people gained access to electricity, the more popular they became. This popularity caught the eye of many pioneers of the day: Porsche developed the world’s first hybrid car while Thomas Edison even partnered with friend and former employee Henry Ford to build an affordable EV.
However, this momentum would all come to a slow end, with the creation of Ford’s cost-efficient assembly line and the wider availability of gasol
Steam vehicles had been growing in popularity since the 1870s and held a slim majority over the US market at the turn of the century, yet they had major setbacks which ultimately led to their downfall. Steam vehicles required startup times up to 45 minutes and continuously needed to be refilled with water, limiting their range. In the end, while steam was reliable for powering factories and trains, it proved not to be very practical for personal vehicles.
Around the same time as William Morrison was working on his electric-powered carriage, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz simultaneously developed the world's first automobiles in 1886 in Germany. However, gasoline-powered cars required the driver to change gears and start the vehicle with a heavy hand crank. They were also far noisier than their steam or electric cousins and emitted pollutants from their exhausts.
In comparison to the two other vehicle types on the market, electric cars proved to be a competitive option. They did not emit any of the unpleasant pollutants, require changing gears, or have long startup times. This meant that they were easier to drive and they were much quieter too.
As a result, electric cars quickly became popular with urban residents where electricity was readily available and as more people gained access to electricity, the more popular they became. This popularity caught the eye of many pioneers of the day: Porsche developed the world’s first hybrid car while Thomas Edison even partnered with friend and former employee Henry Ford to build an affordable EV.
However, this momentum would all come to a slow end, with the creation of Ford’s cost-efficient assembly line and the wider availability of gasol
