The history of electric cars began in the mid 19th century, and the invention of the electric car is
attributed to various inventors. In 1828, Ányos Jedlik, a Hungarian who invented an early type of
electric motor, created a small car model powered by the then new type of engine. In 1834 in
Vermont, Thomas Davenport invented the first American DC electric motor. Rechargeable batteries
that provide a viable way to store electricity in the car did not exist until 1840.
The invention of the improved battery technology in France in 1881, with the efforts of Gaston
Plante and his countryman Camille Faure, finally opened the way for electric cars and their
expansion in Europe. France and Great Britain were the first countries to support the development
of electric cars.
Before improvement of the internal combustion engine, electric cars held many records regarding
speed and range. Among the most important is breaking the record of 100 km/h on 29th April 1899
.
Although Thomas Davenport was among the first to install an electric motor into a vehicle, the
electric car in the conventional sense was not developed until sometime around 1891.
Picture: Lohner-Porsche Electric Coupe, year 1899
Source: Electric and Hybrid Cars, Curtis D. Anderson and Judy Anderson
Picture: Woods’ Victoria Hansom Cab, year 1899
Source: Electric and Hybrid Cars, Curtis D. Anderson and Judy Anderson
Picture: german electric car, year 1904
Source: The German Federal Archive, www.wikipedia.org
Due to technical limitations, the maximum speed of these earliest electric cars was approximately
32 km/h. At the beginning of 1900, despite their relatively low speed, electric cars had a number of
advantages over their competition.
They produced no vibrations, odours and noise associated with
petrol-powered cars. Changing gears in petrol-powered cars was the hardest part of the driving,
and electric cars did not require gear changes. Electric cars were popular among wealthy
customers who used them exclusively in city traffic, so their limited range was not relevant. Electric
cars also had the advantage because they did not require manual effort to start driving. Petrolpowered cars had handles for starting the engine on the front side which required the starting
force. Electric cars were often sold as vehicles suitable for women drivers due to their easier
operation. Early electric cars were even labelled as “women’s cars”
