Older than you think: The Origins of Electric Vehicles

The humble beginnings of EVs

Cast yourself back to the early 1830s, Charles Darwin has just set off for the Galapagos on his famous voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, Greece has just gained independence from the Ottoman Empire and the abolition of slavery in Brazil and the UK comes into force. Meanwhile, in Scotland the inventor Robert Anderson has just built the first “electric carriage”.

Powered by a non-rechargeable battery, Anderson was inspired by the earlier works of scholars such as Ányos Jedlik, the Hungarian priest and physicist and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin’s work on the electric motor. While the range was short and limited to demonstrations of little jaunts through the local villages, Anderson’s electric carriage presented a milestone in the history of EVs.

It would not be until 1865 that the solution to Anderson’s range problem would emerge, with the invention of the lead-acid battery by the French physicist Gaston Planté. The lead-acid battery was the first rechargeable battery paving the way for further developments in EVs. Around the same time the first gas powered car was also invented in France, marking the first ICE vehicle. Thus, the stage was set as the two different powering mechanisms would wax and wane in popularity over the decades.

It would be a while until cars would be seen along the roads, most of these early models were experimental and there was significant backlash from the public, particularly in more rural areas due to the cars scaring horses and wider anti-machine sentiments.

A three-way race to the future

By 1900, there were three main contenders for how personal vehicles would be powered: electricity, gasoline and steam. Each had their benefits and drawbacks. Electric vehicles were much quieter and easier to operate, although they were heavier and the time, they took to charge was extremely long. Gasoline powered cars were noisy, had far more moving parts but could operate for far longer than the other options. Steam was quickly fell out of favour despite being able to accelerate more smoothly, due to the difficulty in sorting bulky fuel and their higher chance of exploding.

During this time, EVs accounted for a third of all vehicles on the road in the USA, cities such as New York and Chicago had ever-growing fleets of electric taxis. Meanwhile, the urban elite began to embrace them due to them being quieter and not needing to hand-crank them (which was a big deal as hand cranking was a rather dangerous procedure!). It looked like EVs were poised for success, with Thomas Edison even teaming up with Henry Ford (of Ford Motors fame) to explore developing electric cars. However, circumstances changed and EVs would have to wait to have their time in the spotlight.

Thomas Edison standing next to an old electric car.

What made ICE vehicles overtake EVs in the 20th century?

Ultimately, the discovery of vast oil fields in Texas meant that gasoline became easily available across the USA. Further innovations in ICE technology such as the electric starter motor removed much of the danger and made starting the vehicle much easier. Roads became more common place and allowed people to travel further than before, something EVs just could not achieve at the time. Finally in 1913 came Henry Ford’s revolutionary assembly production line and the gasoline powered Model T, making ICE vehicles much cheaper and available to the average consumer.

These developments in the USA sent shockwaves around the world and set the standard for personal transport for the rest of the century. By the 1920s electric vehicles had largely disappeared from mainstream production.