Introduced over a century ago, electric cars are experiencing a remarkable resurgence in popularity today, echoing many of the very reasons that initially propelled them into the limelight. As consumers increasingly seek cost-effective and environmentally conscious transportation options, the demand for electric drive vehicles – encompassing hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric models – is poised for continued growth. Current figures indicate that electric vehicles constitute more than 3 percent of new car sales, and projections from Navigant Research suggest a potential surge to nearly 7 percent, or 6.6 million vehicles annually, worldwide by 2020.
This burgeoning interest in electric vehicles prompts a deeper exploration into the historical trajectory of this technology and its future prospects. Join us on a journey back in time as we uncover the fascinating story of the First Electric Car and its evolution.
The Genesis of Electric Mobility: Unveiling the First Electric Car
Attributing the invention of the electric car to a single individual or nation proves to be a complex task. Instead, the emergence of the first electric car was the culmination of a series of groundbreaking innovations throughout the 19th century, spanning from advancements in battery technology to the development of the electric motor.
In the early decades of the 1800s, visionary minds across Hungary, the Netherlands, and the United States, including a Vermont blacksmith, began toying with the concept of battery-powered vehicles. These early pioneers laid the groundwork by creating some of the earliest small-scale electric cars. While British inventor Robert Anderson is credited with developing a rudimentary electric carriage around this period, it was the ingenuity of French and English inventors in the latter half of the 19th century that brought forth some of the first truly practical electric cars.
On American soil, the first successful electric car made its debut around 1890, thanks to the endeavors of 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, this pioneering creation ignited significant public interest in electric vehicles.
Alt text: William Morrison’s first electric car debut in 1890, an early example of electric vehicle ingenuity.
Over the ensuing years, electric vehicles from various manufacturers began to emerge across the United States. New York City even established a fleet of over 60 electric taxis. By the dawn of the 20th century, electric cars had reached their zenith, representing approximately one-third of all vehicles on American roads. Their strong sales performance continued throughout the subsequent decade.
The Early Ascendancy and Decline of the Electric Car: Factors Shaping the Automotive Landscape
To fully grasp the widespread 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 dominant mode of transportation. However, as prosperity grew in America, individuals increasingly turned to the newly invented motor vehicle – available in steam, gasoline, or electric variants – for personal mobility.
Steam power was a well-established and reliable energy source, having proven its efficacy in powering factories and trains. Early self-propelled vehicles in the late 1700s utilized steam technology, yet it wasn’t until the 1870s that steam found its way into automobiles. A significant drawback of steam vehicles for personal use was their impracticality. They required lengthy startup times, sometimes as long as 45 minutes in cold weather, and necessitated frequent water refills, thus limiting their range.
Simultaneously with the rise of electric vehicles, gasoline-powered cars emerged onto the market, fueled by advancements in internal combustion engine technology during the 19th century. While gasoline cars showed promise, they were not without their shortcomings. Operating them demanded considerable manual effort – gear changes were cumbersome, and starting the engine required a hand crank, making them challenging for some individuals to operate. Moreover, they were noisy and produced unpleasant exhaust fumes.
Electric cars, in stark contrast, sidestepped the issues associated with both steam and gasoline vehicles. They operated quietly, were easy to drive, and emitted no foul-smelling pollutants, unlike their contemporaries. Electric cars rapidly gained favor among urban dwellers, particularly women. They were ideally suited for short trips within city limits, and the poor road conditions prevalent outside urban centers limited the feasibility of long-distance travel for any type of vehicle. As electricity access expanded in the 1910s, charging electric cars became more convenient, further bolstering their appeal across diverse segments of society, even attracting the attention of “best known and prominent makers of gasoline cars,” as noted in a 1911 New York Times article.
Numerous innovators of the time recognized the high demand for electric vehicles and explored avenues to refine the technology. Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the renowned sports car company bearing his name, developed an electric car named the P1 in 1898. Around the same period, he also pioneered the world’s first hybrid electric car – a vehicle powered by both electricity and a gasoline engine. Thomas Edison, a prolific inventor, championed electric vehicles as the superior technology and dedicated efforts to developing improved electric vehicle batteries. Even Henry Ford, a friend of Edison, collaborated with him to investigate the potential for a low-cost electric car in 1914, according to Wired.
Alt text: Ferdinand Porsche P1 first electric car built in 1898, showcasing early electric vehicle development.
However, it was Henry Ford’s mass-produced Model T that delivered a significant setback 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 plummeted to $650, while an electric roadster retailed for $1,750. In the same year, Charles Kettering introduced the electric starter, eliminating the need for the cumbersome hand crank and further propelling 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 were increasingly eager to explore beyond urban boundaries. The discovery of Texas crude oil made gasoline cheap and readily available even in rural areas, and gas stations began proliferating across the country. In contrast, electricity access remained limited for many Americans outside of cities at that time. Consequently, electric vehicles virtually vanished from the automotive landscape by 1935.
Resurgence Sparked by Fuel Crises: Electric Vehicles Re-enter the Spotlight
For approximately three decades, electric vehicles entered a period of relative obscurity, with limited technological advancements. The abundance of cheap gasoline and continuous improvements in internal combustion engine technology dampened demand for alternative fuel vehicles.
However, the late 1960s and early 1970s witnessed a shift. Soaring oil prices and gasoline shortages, culminating in the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, ignited 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 Department of Energy to support research and development in electric and hybrid vehicles.
Around this time, both major and smaller automakers began investigating alternative fuel vehicle options, including electric cars. For instance, General Motors developed a prototype urban electric car, which they showcased at the Environmental Protection Agency’s First Symposium on Low Pollution Power Systems Development in 1973. American Motor Company produced electric delivery jeeps for a 1975 test program by the United States Postal Service. Even NASA played a role in elevating the profile of electric vehicles when its electric Lunar rover became the first manned vehicle to traverse the moon in 1971.
Alt text: NASA Lunar rover first electric vehicle on moon in 1971, highlighting EV technology in space.
Despite these developments, electric vehicles of the 1970s still lagged behind gasoline-powered cars in performance. They typically had limited top speeds, around 45 miles per hour, and a range of only about 40 miles before requiring recharging.
Environmental Consciousness Propels Electric Vehicle Innovation Forward
Another significant shift occurred in the 1990s. In the two decades following the gasoline shortages of the 1970s, public interest in electric vehicles had largely waned. However, new federal and state regulations initiated a change in trajectory. The passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment and the 1992 Energy Policy Act, coupled with new transportation emissions regulations issued by the California Air Resources Board, contributed to a resurgence of interest in electric vehicles within the United States.
During this period, automakers began 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 vehicles, 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? Unlike modifications of existing models, the EV1 was conceived and developed by GM from the ground up as a dedicated electric vehicle. Boasting a range of 80 miles and an acceleration capability of 0 to 50 miles per hour in just seven seconds, the EV1 quickly garnered a devoted following. However, due to high production costs, the EV1 never achieved commercial viability, and GM discontinued it in 2001.
Amidst a booming economy, a growing middle class, and low gasoline prices in the late 1990s, many consumers showed limited concern for fuel-efficient vehicles. Despite the lack of widespread public attention on electric vehicles at this time, scientists and engineers, with support from the Department of Energy, continued to work behind the scenes to improve electric vehicle technology, particularly batteries.
A New Dawn for Electric Cars: The 21st Century Revival
While the intermittent progress of the electric vehicle industry in the latter half of the 20th century demonstrated the potential of the technology, the true resurgence of the electric car commenced around the start of the 21st century. Depending on perspective, either of two pivotal events ignited the current wave of interest in electric vehicles.
The first turning point often cited is the introduction of the Toyota Prius. Launched in Japan in 1997, the Prius became the world’s first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. In 2000, the Prius was released globally and quickly gained popularity, particularly among celebrities, which helped elevate the car’s profile. Toyota utilized nickel metal hydride battery technology in the Prius, a technology supported by Department of Energy research. Subsequently, rising gasoline prices and growing concerns about carbon emissions have propelled the Prius to become the best-selling hybrid worldwide over the past decade.
(Historical note: Prior to the Prius’s U.S. debut, Honda introduced the Insight hybrid in 1999, marking the first hybrid sold in the U.S. since the early 1900s.)
The second event that significantly reshaped the electric vehicle landscape was the 2006 announcement by Tesla Motors, a small Silicon Valley startup, about its plans to 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 that Tesla repaid nine years ahead of schedule—to establish a manufacturing facility in California. In the relatively short period since, 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 development 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, enabling consumers to drive primarily on electric power for most trips and utilize gasoline for extended range. In contrast, the LEAF 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. market. However, consumers still faced a challenge reminiscent of the early days of electric cars: charging infrastructure. Through the Recovery Act, the Department of Energy invested over $115 million to help establish a nationwide charging infrastructure, deploying more than 18,000 residential, commercial, and public chargers across the country. Automakers and private businesses have also installed their own chargers at key locations in the U.S., bringing the current total 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 Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, began to reach the market, enhancing the range of plug-in electric vehicles. In addition to battery technology used in nearly all first-generation hybrids, the Department’s research 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 facilitated a 50 percent reduction in electric vehicle battery costs in the last four years, while simultaneously improving battery performance (power, energy, and durability). This, in turn, has lowered electric vehicle prices, making them more accessible to consumers.
Consumers today enjoy an unprecedented array of choices when considering an electric vehicle. Currently, 23 plug-in electric and 36 hybrid models are 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 decline, electric vehicles are gaining traction, with over 234,000 plug-in electric vehicles and 3.3 million hybrids currently on U.S. roads.
The Trajectory Ahead: Envisioning the Future of Electric Cars
Predicting the precise future of electric vehicles remains uncertain, but their potential to contribute to a more sustainable future is undeniable. If the entire fleet of light-duty vehicles in the U.S. transitioned to hybrids or plug-in electric vehicles utilizing current technology, we could decrease our reliance on foreign oil by 30-60 percent, while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions from the transportation sector by as much as 20 percent.
To facilitate these emissions reductions, President Obama launched the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge in 2012 – a Department of Energy initiative uniting leading American scientists, engineers, and businesses to make plug-in electric vehicles as affordable as today’s 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 hurdles hindering large-scale battery improvements.
Furthermore, the Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is fostering groundbreaking technologies that could fundamentally reshape our perception of electric vehicles. From investments in new battery types promising extended range on a single charge to cost-effective alternatives to materials critical for electric motors, ARPA-E’s projects hold the potential to revolutionize electric vehicles.
Ultimately, only time will reveal the precise course electric vehicles will navigate in the future. However, their journey from the first electric car prototypes to the sophisticated models of today underscores their enduring appeal and transformative potential in the automotive world.
