From the 1830s Onwards: The Rise and Fall of the First Electric Cars

Electric vehicles (EVs) are much older than you think. The first electric car appeared nearly two hundred years ago when most people still relied on horses and steam power to propel their vehicles. Some familiar names even had a hand in developing and producing early EVs. Let’s take a look at the ancestors of modern electric cars and how they made history.

The First Electric Car Came From Scotland

During the 1830s, Scottish inventor Robert Anderson put together a motorized carriage powered by “galvanic cells.” Early batteries were incapable of recharging. Once depleted, they needed replacement.

Anderson’s EV is primitive by modern standards. However, it stood out among the other vehicles of the time that relied on multiple draft animals or bulky steam boilers for propulsion.

Electric cars became more viable upon the introduction of the first rechargeable batteries in 1859. Renowned English inventor Thomas Parker leveraged his patents on dynamos and lead-acid batteries to build prototype EVs in 1884.

The First American EV Rolled Out Around 50 Years Later

Across the Atlantic, William Morrison applied for a patent on what is probably the first American electric car in 1890. A Scottish chemist who moved to Des Moines, IA, Morrison had built an electric carriage with impressive performance.

Twenty-four battery cells gave Morrison’s EV an impressive range of 50 miles. Powered by the equivalent of four horses, it reportedly hit a top speed of 20 mph. 

Morrison brought his electric car to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where it made a big impression on numerous visitors.

Electrobat: The First Commercially Successful Electric Car

Americans also made the first electric vehicle that enjoyed commercial success. 

The Electrobat was the brainchild of Pedro Salom and Henry G. Morris from Philadelphia, PA. First patented in 1894, it drew on technology from boats and street cars that ran on electric batteries.

The Electrobat evolved over the following years. It changed out its original steel tires for pneumatic ones and saved weight by switching to lighter materials. By 1896, it could make 20 mph and could travel for 25 miles before needing to recharge. 

Electric Cars Dominated Roads in the Late 1890s

Cashing in on the Electrobat’s success, Morris and Salom sold the concept to businessman Issac L. Rice. Rice saw potential in running a taxi cab business with EVs in eastern cities like New York, Boston, and Baltimore. 

So he founded the Electric Vehicle Company (EVC) in New Jersey. The company operated hundreds of Electrobats and other electric cabs in multiple cities in its heyday.

Rice was himself an inventor. He came up with a clever way to overcome the drawback of slow charging times. EVC converted an ice arena into a station where an electric cab can drive in, swap out exhausted batteries for fresh ones, and drive out.

EVs Were Outselling Gas Cars By the Turn of the Century

According to the 1899 US census, the total automobile production consisted of 936 gas-burning cars, 1,681 steam-propelled vehicles, and 1,575 electricity-powered vehicles. The best-selling vehicle in America in 1897 was the Columbia Motor Carriage from the Pope Manufacturing Company. 

Unfortunately, EVC closed down in 1907, a victim of the conflict between its investors and partners. But it left its mark on history. EVC’s battery supplier continues to flourish in modern times under the name Exide.

Famous Car Makers That Built Early EVs

The automobile market of the 1870s-1920s looked very different. If you owned a car, you were either rich or part of a business that operated a fleet of vehicles. Steam-powered cars ruled the roads, and both gas-powered and electric cars struggled to catch up with the performance of steam cars.

Many inventors and businessmen ventured into electric cars during this era. Some of these names will ring a bell with automobile aficionados.

Ransom Eli Olds

Before he founded the prolific automaker Oldsmobile, Ransom Eli Olds built a small number of electric cars. In the future, the Oldsmobile factory in Lansing, MI would produce EVs under General Motors, the company that bought out Oldsmobile.

Dr. Ferdinand Porsche

The founder of German car manufacturer Porsche, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche developed the Egger-Lohner C.2 Phaeton in 1898. The Phaeton ran on an electric drive that produced five horsepower and had a maximum speed of 22 mph.

Studebaker

Last but not least is Studebaker, which made its name building horse-drawn carriages and wagons before transitioning into the production of early electric cars. Thomas Edison drove a 1902 Studebaker Electric. Together with his friend Henry Ford, they took a shot at designing their own electric car but conceded that a gasoline-powered car was more feasible.

Early Electric Cars Also Won Races and Competitions

Motorsports are a popular and effective way to demonstrate the capabilities of a vehicle. It comes as no surprise that early EVs participated in racing events.

The Electrobat competed against gas-powered Duryea cars during several sprint races in 1896. It won, thanks to improvements that reduced its weight and boosted its speed.

Dr. Porsche entered the Phaeton in an electric car-only race held in Berlin in 1899. His one-off EV emerged triumphant, proving itself a marvel of German engineering.

Then there’s Camille Jenatzy, a famous Belgian race car driver who worked for an electric carriage manufacturer near Paris. In 1899, he became the first man to break the 60 mph (100 kph) land speed record.

Jenatzy’s customized electric car was La Jamais Contente (“The Never Satisfied”), a torpedo-shaped vehicle powered by two direct-drive motors that ran at 200 volts and drew 67 horsepower.

First US Presidents to Ride an Electric Car

A couple of US Presidents have connections with early cars, including electric vehicles. Contrary to what many believe, Theodore Roosevelt is not the first President to ride a car. That distinction goes to his predecessor William McKinley.

When McKinley was shot in Buffalo, New York on September 6, 1901, he was rushed to the hospital aboard an electric ambulance. Roosevelt succeeded him and became the first US President to ride a car in public. His chosen vehicle? A Columbia electric car, made by Pope using EVC’s technology.

Electric Vehicles Started Declining Around the 1920s

Electric cars found formidable competition in the Ford Model T. First sold in 1908, the mass-produced Model T provided an affordable and widely available alternative to EVs.

What sealed the fate of EVs was the Texas crude oil was discovered around two decades after the turn of the century. Cheap, abundant oil propelled gas cars to the top, and by 1935, electric cars were a rare sight on the road.

The Return of Electric Vehicles

Even in the infancy of the automobile, electric cars demonstrated considerable potential. Today, modern technologies have allowed EVs to match or even exceed the performance of gasoline-powered cars. Many experts believe that it’s only a matter of time before they reclaim their top spot on the road.