Introduced over a century ago, electric cars are experiencing a resurgence in popularity today, echoing many of the reasons behind their initial appeal. As concerns about fuel costs and environmental impact grow, the demand for electric drive vehicles – whether hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or all-electric – is set to increase. While currently representing a small percentage of new car sales, projections indicate a significant rise in electric vehicle sales, potentially reaching nearly 7% globally by 2020, as highlighted in a Navigant Research report.
This growing interest prompts us to delve into the captivating Car Background of electric vehicle technology, exploring its origins and charting its future trajectory. Join us on a journey through time as we uncover the rich history of the electric car.
The Genesis of the Electric Vehicle
Attributing the invention of the electric car to a single individual or nation is a complex task. Instead, its creation was the result of a series of groundbreaking innovations throughout the 19th century – from advancements in battery technology to the electric motor – that collectively paved the way for the first electric vehicles on the road.
Early in the 1800s, visionary minds across Hungary, the Netherlands, and the United States, including a Vermont blacksmith, began experimenting with the concept of battery-powered transportation, 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 during the latter half of the 19th century that French and English inventors engineered some of the first truly practical electric cars.
In the United States, the first successful electric car emerged 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. Nevertheless, it played a crucial role in igniting initial interest in electric vehicles within the burgeoning automotive landscape.
Over the subsequent years, electric vehicles from various pioneering automakers started appearing across the U.S. New York City even boasted a fleet of over 60 electric taxis. By 1900, electric cars had reached their zenith, accounting for approximately one-third of all vehicles on American roads. Their strong sales continued into the following decade, solidifying their place in early automotive history.
The Early Ascendancy and Decline of the Electric Car
To fully grasp the popularity of electric vehicles around 1900, it’s crucial to understand the broader context of personal vehicle development and the alternative options available at the time. At the dawn of the 20th century, the horse remained the dominant 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 and reliable energy source, proven in factories and trains. Some of the earliest self-propelled vehicles in the late 1700s relied on steam. However, it wasn’t until the 1870s that this technology gained traction in cars. Steam vehicles for personal use had significant drawbacks. They required lengthy startup times, sometimes up to 45 minutes in cold weather, and needed frequent water refills, limiting their range.
Simultaneously with the rise of electric vehicles, gasoline-powered cars emerged, propelled by advancements in the internal combustion engine during the 1800s. While gasoline cars showed promise, they also had limitations. Driving them required considerable physical effort – gear changing was cumbersome, and starting the engine involved a hand crank, making them challenging for some to operate. Moreover, they were noisy, and their exhaust produced unpleasant fumes.
Electric cars sidestepped the issues associated with both steam and gasoline vehicles. They were quiet, easy to drive, and produced no smelly pollutants, unlike their contemporaries. Electric cars rapidly gained popularity among urban dwellers, particularly women. They were ideally suited for short city trips, and the poor road conditions outside urban centers restricted the range of all types of cars anyway. As electricity access expanded in the 1910s, charging electric cars became more convenient, further boosting their appeal across society, including some of the “best known and prominent makers of gasoline cars,” as noted in a 1911 New York Times article.
Many innovators of the era recognized the high demand for electric vehicles and explored ways to enhance the technology. For instance, Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the renowned sports car company, developed the P1 electric car 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 superior and dedicated himself to developing a better electric car battery. Even Henry Ford, a friend of Edison, collaborated with him to explore options for a low-cost electric car in 1914, according to Wired.
A detailed replica of William Morrison’s pioneering electric car, showcasing early automotive design and the dawn of electric vehicle technology at the National Museum of American History.
However, it was Henry Ford’s mass-produced Model T that dealt a significant blow to the electric car’s momentum. Introduced in 1908, the Model T made gasoline-powered cars widely accessible and affordable. By 1912, the price of a gasoline car had dropped to just $650, while an electric roadster cost $1,750. That same year, Charles Kettering introduced the electric starter, eliminating the need for the hand crank and further fueling the sales of gasoline-powered vehicles.
Other factors contributed to the decline of electric vehicles. By the 1920s, the U.S. had developed a better road network connecting cities, and Americans desired to travel and explore further. 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 was still scarce in rural areas at that time. Consequently, electric vehicles largely vanished by 1935, fading into the background of automotive history.
Gas Shortages Revive Interest in Electric Vehicles
For approximately three decades, electric vehicles entered a period of stagnation, with minimal technological advancement. Cheap, abundant gasoline and continuous improvements in the internal combustion engine suppressed demand for alternative fuel vehicles.
However, the late 1960s and early 1970s witnessed a shift. Surging oil prices and gasoline shortages – culminating in the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo – sparked renewed interest in reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and finding 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.
Around this time, numerous automakers, both large and small, began exploring 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 that the United States Postal Service tested in a 1975 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.
The electric Lunar Rover, a symbol of innovation and the first manned vehicle to traverse the lunar surface, highlighting the versatility and potential of electric vehicle technology even in extraterrestrial environments.
Despite these efforts, electric vehicles developed in the 1970s still faced performance limitations compared to gasoline cars. Their top speeds were typically around 45 miles per hour, and their range was limited to about 40 miles before requiring a recharge.
Environmental Concerns Propel Electric Vehicles Forward
Moving forward to the 1990s, the initial surge of interest in electric vehicles from the 1970s had largely subsided. However, new federal and state regulations began to reshape 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, helped rekindle interest in electric vehicles in the U.S.
During this period, automakers started adapting some of their popular vehicle models into electric versions. This resulted in electric vehicles achieving speeds and performance much closer to gasoline-powered counterparts, with many offering a range of around 60 miles.
One of the most iconic electric cars of this era was GM’s EV1, prominently featured in the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? Instead of modifying an existing model, GM designed and developed 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 gained a devoted following. However, due to high production costs, the EV1 was never commercially viable, and GM discontinued it in 2001.
Amid a booming economy, a growing middle class, and low gas prices in the late 1990s, fuel efficiency was not a primary concern for many consumers. While public attention to electric vehicles remained limited, scientists and engineers, with support from the Energy Department, continued to work behind the scenes to improve electric vehicle technology, particularly batteries.
A New Dawn for Electric Cars
While the intermittent progress of the electric vehicle industry in the latter half of the 20th century demonstrated the technology’s potential, the true resurgence of the electric car began around the start of the 21st century. Depending on perspective, either of two key events ignited the current widespread interest in electric vehicles.
The introduction of the Toyota Prius is often cited as the first turning point. Launched in Japan in 1997 and globally in 2000, the Prius became the world’s first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. Its instant success, particularly among celebrities, significantly elevated the car’s profile. Toyota utilized nickel metal hydride batteries in the Prius, a technology supported by Energy Department research. Since then, rising gasoline prices and increasing concerns about carbon emissions have propelled the Prius to become the best-selling hybrid worldwide over the past decade.
(Historical Note: Before the Prius reached the U.S. market, Honda released 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, about producing a luxury electric sports car capable of exceeding 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 repaid nine years ahead of schedule – to establish a manufacturing facility in California. Tesla has since garnered widespread acclaim for its vehicles and become the largest auto industry employer in California.
Tesla’s announcement and subsequent success spurred major automakers to accelerate their 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 that supplements the electric drive once the battery is depleted, allowing drivers to use electric power for most trips and gasoline for extended range. In contrast, the LEAF is an all-electric vehicle (also known as a battery-electric vehicle or EV), solely powered by an electric motor.
Over the following years, other automakers joined the electric vehicle market in the U.S. However, consumers still faced a familiar challenge: public charging infrastructure. Through the Recovery Act, the Energy Department invested over $115 million to help build a nationwide charging infrastructure, installing over 18,000 chargers across residential, commercial, and public locations. Automakers and private businesses also installed chargers at key locations, bringing the current total of public electric vehicle chargers to over 8,000 locations with more than 20,000 outlets.
Concurrently, advancements in battery technology, supported by the Energy Department’s Vehicle Technologies Office, improved the range of plug-in electric vehicles. Beyond the battery technology in early hybrids, Department research contributed to the development of lithium-ion battery technology used in the Volt. More recently, investments in battery research and development have reduced electric vehicle battery costs by 50% in the last four years, while enhancing battery performance, including power, energy, and durability. This cost reduction has made electric vehicles more accessible to consumers.
Consumers now have an unprecedented selection of electric vehicles. Currently, there are 23 plug-in electric and 36 hybrid models available in various sizes, from the compact Smart ED to the mid-size Ford C-Max Energi and the luxury BMW i3 SUV. As gasoline prices continue to rise and electric vehicle prices become more competitive, 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 to contribute to a more sustainable future is undeniable. If all light-duty vehicles in the U.S. transitioned to hybrids or plug-in electric vehicles using current technology, we could reduce foreign oil dependence by 30-60% and decrease carbon emissions from the transportation sector by up to 20%.
To facilitate these emission 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. In battery technology, the Department’s Joint Center for Energy Storage Research at Argonne National Laboratory is addressing the major scientific and technical obstacles hindering large-scale battery improvements.
Furthermore, the Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is fostering groundbreaking technologies that could revolutionize electric vehicles. ARPA-E projects range from investing in new battery types with extended range to developing cost-effective alternatives to critical electric motor materials, potentially transforming the electric vehicle landscape.
Ultimately, the future path of electric vehicles remains to be seen.
