Electric vehicles ( EVs ) are coming of age , but their history stretches back a surprisingly long time . Here we chart the breakthroughs that led us to being on the cusp of driving down Electric Avenue
TIMELINE
THE LONG ROAD TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Electric vehicles ( EVs ) are coming of age , but their history stretches back a surprisingly long time . Here we chart the breakthroughs that led us to being on the cusp of driving down Electric Avenue
The beginning
It all starts with a Hungarian priest called Anyos Jedlik , who built the first viable electric motor in 1827 . The following year he was able to power a small car with it . The mid-19th century then saw a flurry of electric car and train development , including several patents for powering the latter via the rails .
Studebaker
By 1902 , electric cars were a hotly tipped prospect , and the Studebaker Automobile Company put the first mass produced vehicles into production . By 1904 , it had diversified into petrol cars as well . A good bet , as Henry Ford ’ s cheap production models would see electric cars all but disappear from roads for the next century .
The slump
Discoveries of oil , lack of range … blame what you will but the 20th century was a blackspot for EVs with a few exceptions : many industrial vehicles , such as pallet and forklift trucks were battery powered , as well as the famous British milk float . Oh , and that golf buggy astronauts drove on the moon .
18 April 2021