Electric cars, now experiencing a resurgence in popularity, actually have roots stretching back over a century. While modern consumers are drawn to electric vehicles (EVs) for reasons echoing their initial appeal – efficiency and reduced running costs – the story of the electric car is a long and fascinating journey. As demand for electric drive vehicles increases, spurred by falling prices and a desire for fuel economy, understanding their history becomes even more relevant. Current projections estimate electric vehicle sales could reach nearly 7% of new car sales globally by 2020, highlighting a significant shift in the automotive landscape.
Let’s embark on a historical exploration to answer the question: When Was The First Car and delve into the surprising origins and evolution of the electric vehicle.
The Dawn of Electric Mobility
Pinpointing the exact inventor or nation behind the first electric car is challenging. Its creation was a gradual process, fueled by a series of groundbreaking inventions in the 19th century, from advancements in battery technology to the electric motor itself.
During the early 1800s, pioneering minds across Hungary, the Netherlands, and the United States, including a Vermont blacksmith, began experimenting with battery-powered vehicles, crafting some of the earliest rudimentary electric cars. While Robert Anderson, a British inventor, developed a primitive electric carriage around the same period, it was the latter half of the 19th century that saw French and English inventors construct some of the first truly practical electric automobiles.
Image alt text: Illustration depicting various early electric vehicles from the late 19th century, showcasing their diverse designs and carriage-like appearance.
In the United States, the first successful electric car debuted around 1890, thanks to William Morrison, a chemist residing in Des Moines, Iowa. His six-passenger vehicle, capable of reaching a top speed of 14 miles per hour, was essentially an electrified wagon, yet it ignited significant public interest in electric vehicles.
The subsequent years witnessed a proliferation of electric vehicles from various manufacturers across the U.S. New York City even boasted a fleet of over 60 electric taxis. By 1900, electric cars had reached their zenith, representing approximately one-third of all vehicles on American roads. Their strong sales continued into the following decade.
The Initial Ascent and Decline of Electric Cars
To fully grasp the popularity of electric vehicles around 1900, it’s crucial to consider the broader context of personal vehicle development and the competing technologies of the era. At the turn of the 20th century, the horse remained the primary mode of transportation. However, as prosperity grew in America, people increasingly turned to the newly invented motor vehicle – available in steam, gasoline, or electric variants – for personal transportation.
Steam power was a well-established energy source, proven reliable for powering factories and trains. Indeed, some of the earliest self-propelled vehicles in the late 1700s utilized steam. However, it wasn’t until the 1870s that steam technology gained traction in automobiles. Steam vehicles, however, had significant drawbacks for personal use. They required lengthy start-up times, sometimes as long as 45 minutes in cold weather, and needed frequent water refills, limiting their range.
Concurrent with the rise of electric vehicles, gasoline-powered cars emerged onto the market, spurred by advancements in internal combustion engine technology during the 1800s. While gasoline cars showed promise, they too were not without their flaws. Operating them demanded considerable manual effort – gear shifting was cumbersome, and starting the engine required a hand crank, making them difficult for some to operate. They were also noisy and produced unpleasant exhaust fumes.
Electric cars, in contrast, sidestepped the issues associated with both steam and gasoline. They were quiet, easy to drive, and emitted no smelly pollutants like their contemporaries. Electric cars rapidly gained favor among urban dwellers, particularly women. They were ideally suited for short trips within cities, and the poor road conditions prevalent outside urban centers meant few vehicles of any type could venture far beyond city limits. As electricity access expanded in the 1910s, charging electric cars became more convenient, further boosting their popularity across society, including some of the “best known and prominent makers of gasoline cars,” as a 1911 New York Times article noted.
Image alt text: A vintage advertisement from 1912 for Woods electric cars, highlighting their elegance and modern features for the time period.
Numerous innovators of the era recognized the high demand for electric vehicles and explored ways to refine the technology. For instance, Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the renowned sports car company, developed an electric car named the P1 in 1898. Around the same time, he also created the world’s first hybrid electric car – a vehicle powered by both electricity and a gasoline engine. Thomas Edison, a prolific inventor, believed electric vehicles were the superior technology and dedicated himself to developing improved electric vehicle batteries. Even Henry Ford, a friend of Edison, collaborated with him to investigate options for a low-cost electric car in 1914.
However, it was Henry Ford’s mass-produced Model T that dealt a significant blow to the electric car. Introduced in 1908, the Model T made gasoline-powered cars widely accessible and affordable. By 1912, the price of a gasoline car had plummeted to just $650, while an electric roadster cost a hefty $1,750. That same year, Charles Kettering introduced the electric starter, eliminating the need for the hand crank and further accelerating gasoline-powered vehicle sales.
Other factors also contributed to the decline of electric vehicles. By the 1920s, the United States had developed a more extensive network of roads connecting cities, and Americans increasingly desired to travel and explore. The discovery of Texas crude oil led to cheap and readily available gasoline for rural Americans, and gas stations began to proliferate across the country. In contrast, electricity remained scarce in rural areas at that time. Consequently, electric vehicles virtually vanished by 1935.
Fuel Crises Spark Renewed Interest in Electric Vehicles
For roughly three decades, electric vehicles entered a period of stagnation, with limited technological advancement. Inexpensive and abundant gasoline, coupled with continuous improvements in internal combustion engines, suppressed demand for alternative fuel vehicles.
Fast forward to the late 1960s and early 1970s. Surging oil prices and gasoline shortages – culminating in the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo – generated renewed interest in reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and exploring domestic fuel sources. Congress responded by passing the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1976, authorizing the Energy Department to support research and development in electric and hybrid vehicles.
During this period, numerous automakers, both large and small, began investigating alternative fuel vehicle options, including electric cars. For example, General Motors developed a prototype urban electric car, showcased at the Environmental Protection Agency’s First Symposium on Low Pollution Power Systems Development in 1973. American Motor Company produced electric delivery jeeps, which the United States Postal Service tested in a 1975 pilot program. Even NASA contributed to raising the profile of electric vehicles when its electric Lunar rover became the first manned vehicle to drive on the moon in 1971.
However, the electric vehicles developed and produced in the 1970s still suffered from performance limitations compared to gasoline cars. Their top speeds typically maxed out at 45 miles per hour, and their range was generally limited to 40 miles before requiring a recharge.
Environmental Concerns Propel Electric Vehicle Advancement
Another time jump – this time to the 1990s. In the two decades since the gas lines of the 1970s, interest in electric vehicles had largely waned. However, new federal and state regulations began to shift the landscape. The passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment and the 1992 Energy Policy Act – along with new transportation emissions regulations from the California Air Resources Board – fostered a resurgence of interest in electric vehicles in the U.S.
During this era, automakers started adapting some of their existing popular vehicle models into electric versions. This resulted in electric vehicles achieving speeds and performance levels much closer to those of gasoline-powered cars, with many offering a range of around 60 miles.
One of the most iconic electric cars of this period was GM’s EV1, famously featured in the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? Rather than modifying an existing model, GM designed and built the EV1 from the ground up. With an 80-mile range and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 50 miles per hour in just seven seconds, the EV1 quickly developed a cult following. However, due to high production costs, the EV1 was never commercially viable, and GM discontinued it in 2001.
With a thriving economy, a growing middle class, and low gasoline prices in the late 1990s, fuel efficiency was not a primary concern for many consumers. Despite limited public attention on electric vehicles at this time, scientists and engineers, with support from the Energy Department, continued to work behind the scenes to improve electric vehicle technology, particularly batteries.
A New Era for Electric Cars
While the cyclical history of the electric vehicle industry in the latter half of the 20th century demonstrated the technology’s potential, the true renaissance of the electric car began around the start of the 21st century. Depending on perspective, either of two events ignited the current wave of interest in electric vehicles.
Many point to the introduction of the Toyota Prius as the first turning point. Launched in Japan in 1997, the Prius became the world’s first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. Its global release in 2000 was an instant success, particularly among celebrities, which significantly elevated the car’s profile. Toyota utilized nickel metal hydride batteries in the Prius, a technology supported by Energy Department research. Subsequently, rising gasoline prices and growing concerns about carbon emissions have propelled the Prius to become the best-selling hybrid worldwide for over a decade.
(Historical note: Before the Prius reached the U.S. market, Honda launched the Insight hybrid in 1999, making it the first hybrid sold in the U.S. since the early 1900s.)
The second pivotal event was the 2006 announcement by Tesla Motors, a small Silicon Valley startup, that it would produce a luxury electric sports car capable of traveling over 200 miles on a single charge. In 2010, Tesla received a $465 million loan from the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office – a loan Tesla repaid a full nine years ahead of schedule – to establish a manufacturing facility in California. Since then, Tesla has garnered widespread acclaim for its vehicles and has become the largest auto industry employer in California.
Tesla’s announcement and subsequent success motivated many established automakers to accelerate their own electric vehicle programs. In late 2010, the Chevy Volt and the Nissan LEAF were launched in the U.S. market. The Volt, the first commercially available plug-in hybrid, features a gasoline engine to supplement its electric drive once the battery is depleted, allowing drivers to use electric power for most trips and gasoline to extend the vehicle’s range. The LEAF, in contrast, is an all-electric vehicle (also known as a battery-electric vehicle or EV), powered solely by an electric motor.
Over the following years, other automakers began introducing electric vehicles in the U.S. However, consumers still faced one of the early challenges of electric vehicle adoption: the availability of public charging infrastructure. Through the Recovery Act, the Energy Department invested over $115 million to help build a nationwide charging infrastructure, deploying more than 18,000 chargers for residential, commercial, and public use across the country. Automakers and private businesses also installed their own chargers at key locations, bringing the total number of public electric vehicle charging locations to over 8,000, with more than 20,000 charging outlets.
Simultaneously, advancements in battery technology, supported by the Energy Department’s Vehicle Technologies Office, began to reach the market, extending the range of plug-in electric vehicles. In addition to battery technology used in almost all first-generation hybrids, Department research also contributed to the development of lithium-ion battery technology used in the Volt. More recently, the Department’s investment in battery research and development has helped reduce electric vehicle battery costs by 50% in the last four years, while simultaneously enhancing battery performance (power, energy, and durability). This cost reduction has made electric vehicles more accessible to consumers.
Consumers now have a wider selection of electric vehicles than ever before. Currently, there are 23 plug-in electric and 36 hybrid models available in various sizes, from the two-passenger Smart ED to the midsized Ford C-Max Energi to the BMW i3 luxury SUV. As gasoline prices continue to rise and electric vehicle prices continue to fall, electric vehicles are gaining popularity, with over 234,000 plug-in electric vehicles and 3.3 million hybrids currently on U.S. roads.
The Future Trajectory of Electric Cars
Predicting the precise future of electric vehicles is challenging, but their potential for creating a more sustainable future is undeniable. If all light-duty vehicles in the U.S. transitioned to hybrids or plug-in electric vehicles utilizing current technology, we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 30-60% and decrease carbon emissions from the transportation sector by up to 20%.
To facilitate these emissions reductions, President Obama launched the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge in 2012 – an Energy Department initiative uniting leading American scientists, engineers, and businesses to make plug-in electric vehicles as affordable as gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022. On the battery technology front, the Department’s Joint Center for Energy Storage Research at Argonne National Laboratory is working to overcome the major scientific and technical obstacles hindering large-scale battery improvements.
Furthermore, the Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is advancing transformative technologies that could fundamentally reshape our understanding of electric vehicles. From investing in new battery chemistries that could significantly extend driving range on a single charge to developing cost-effective alternatives to materials critical for electric motors, ARPA-E’s projects have the potential to revolutionize electric vehicles.
Ultimately, only time will reveal the future path of electric vehicles.
