Electric carriage  invented in 1839?

Remember video clips of Ed Begley talking about his electric car. If you think electric cars are something new, guess again. Electric cars predate gasoline and diesel vehicles by many years. Between 1832 and 1839, Robert Anderson, Scottish inventor designed the first electric carriage. In the early 20th century, electric cars, produced in the USA by Anthony Electric, Baker, Detroit, Edison, Studebaker, and others outsold gasoline powered vehicles. The limitations were evident from their top speed of 20 mph, which limited them to town driving. They were very successful, however, and marketed towards women because of their clean and quiet ride. They didn't need to be hand cranked.

Cadillac invented the electric starter in 1913. This innovation made cranking the internal combustion engine easier and less dangerous. Ford also introduced cheap-to-own Model T Ford which brought about the demise of the electric car. By the 1930's, electric vehicles were only manufactured as fork lifts and industrial vehicles.

What is an Electric Car?

An electric car is a vehicle that runs on a battery-powered electric motor. Right now, an electric car is less expensive to run than a gasoline powered vehicle by a power of 10. It typically runs on nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries. These batteries have replaced wet cell batteries in most instances and give the car a range of up to 200 miles before you need to charge the engine. Lithium-ion cells, the kind of batteries used for laptop computers, are of interest. But the Lithium-ion batteries may present a fire hazard.

Let's Look at Some Facts

The Toyota RAV4-EVi, citing poor sales performance, discontinued production of their electric car. This car would be fully charged within 5 hours. It had a top speed of 78 miles per hour, and a distance of about 117 miles per charge. At gas costs of $3 per gallon, and adding the cost to charge the RAV4EV, we can see that it got the equivalent of 111 mpg. The car was environmentally friendly and emitted no green house gases. Too bad Toyota quit selling them .You might be able to buy one on eBay for $67,300.00!

What is Available Today?

Electric vehicle ownership has risen from 1,607 in 1992 to 55,852 in 2004. Today the car manufacturers are bringing out more electric cars. These vehicles are small, efficient, and affordable. The NMG is so small it is considered part motorcycle/part automobile. Highway approved, it can reach speeds of 70 mph.  The Think was popular in Europe. They called it the City Bee. Ford purchased the Think in 1999 and sold it to a European firm that went bankrupt. There is hope. A team of Norwegian investors is trying to resurrect this fine little car.

What are Disadvantages?

The only drawback to electric cars is the battery. Replacement costs are high. Deep charging cycle type batteries can quickly deteriorate.  Many advances have been made in recent years, but the biggest maintenance cost of an electric vehicle is still replacing the battery.

Will we run out of oil?

Electric cars are still having a high price tag. The Tesla roadster is a sleek, beautiful car that turns heads wherever it goes. This two-seater goes from 0 to 60 in about 4 seconds. It is 100% electric, and gets the equivalent of 135 mpg. It averages about 200 miles per charge, and costs a fraction of two cents per mile to operate. It emits zero greenhouse gases it is one of the best looking sports cars on the road today. The only thing missing is the powerful sports car roar. It is quiet!
To be practical today, an electric vehicle is a good choice for those who have short commutes. The benefit is environment. Electric cars have no effect on greenhouse gases to our atmosphere. Electric cars may become a necessity due to our strong dependence on foreign oil, and the global warming of the planet.