The History of the Electric Powered Vehicle
You might think that electric cars are a modern invention, relatively new to the car market? In fact the concept of the electric car goes back further in time than you might expect:
The Creation
The exact date of the first electric car produced is lost to history but they are generally thought to date back as far as 1832. In fact, the first practical electric car is believed to have been designed and constructed in 1884; here in the UK by Thomas Parker, a British inventor. The US vehicle market took notice of his innovative design and it started a trend of electric vehicles which took the US by storm. By 1890, one-third of all the vehicles within the US were electric powered, which included electric taxis in New York City.
The Production
In 1887, a young chemist named William Morris created his own electric vehicle company, Morrison Electrical, borne out of his growing passion for electricity. After a few attempts, Morrison finally brought out an electric vehicle that included 24 battery cells which were situated under the front seat. These batteries took ten hours to charge which gave a range of about 100 miles before recharging. The four-horsepower vehicle had a top speed of 12 miles per hour and had enough space for six passengers onboard. The “Morrison Electrical” vehicles later evolved to carry a total of twelve passengers and reach a top speed of twenty miles per hour. In 1891, Morrison signed a contract with the American Battery Company which was owned and operated by Harold Sturgis to promote and manufacture the Morrison Battery.
Catering for the middle class
The majority of the upper class within the US and the UK owned an electric powered vehicle during this time but they were out of the reach of the poorer middle classes. In 1908, Ford introduced gas-fuelled vehicles that were much cheaper compared to electric vehicles. This suddenly made vehicles affordable and accessible for the less affluent classes. From this point onwards gas-powered vehicles grew with manufacturers taking inspiration from Ford. Affordable gas-powered cars soon made electric vehicles a thing of the past.
Intergalactic Appearances
Despite being largely overtaken by gas-powered models electrical powered vehicles still made the occasional appearance on the roads – and even on the moon. The electric powered four-wheeled Lunar Roving Vehicle was sent into space and used on the moon during an expedition. However, there were later complaints from the astronauts that the rover was slow and inefficient compared to their petrol-powered alternative.
The Realisation
During the twenty-first century, scientists and economists began to realise that global warming is taking its toll against earth and that action was required. Pleas were made to car manufacturers to consider using alternative methods and fuels. In the early 2000s, Toyota made its grand entrance into the media by producing the Toyota Prius, a hybrid vehicle, which offered the option of switching fuels between petrol/diesel and electric. Over time, Toyota developed the hybrid making it sleeker and well-known worldwide.
Modern Day Electric Cars
The modern Tesla and the 1887 Morrison Electric car have a lot of differences but one thing in common, they are both are electric powered.
In 2018, one in twelve cars sold within the UK were either electric or hybrid according to The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Electric vehicles have almost been around for 200 years which means that there’s been a lot of model evolution and additions since those years. The famous Tesla car air filtering system and even the basic air conditioning system are both new additions. The biggest contestant in today’s electric car industry is Tesla. Tesla has brought out varied models such as the Model X, Model S, and the Roadster. The Tesla Model S was voted the world’s best selling plug-in-car for the second year in a row in 2017 but as of December 2018, the Nissan Leaf has taken top ranking.
In 2017, the UK government made an agreement to ban the sales of all new petrol and diesel cars by the year 2040, following in France’s footsteps. All car models for sale pre-2040, need to meet an air quality test by passing a new real driving emissions (RDE) test. The future looks bright for electric cars.
For details of how to install electric chargers at home if any of this talk about electric cars has prompted you to make the switch to electric get in touch!
