Origin of Electric Cars

Electric cars are defined as those that do not run on petroleum or diesel fuel and may require electricity to run.  Normally, photovoltaic (PV) cells are used to capture natural sunlight to make the engine run. Hybrid vehicles, which run on a combination of electricity and fuel, are a popular choice for those looking to save the earth’s energy. These cars get their energy from a battery pack that requires charging at a station.

Much speculation has been given as to the inventor was of the electric car.  Some records name American inventor Thomas Davenport or Dutch inventor Sibrandus Stratingh. Or even Scottish inventor Robert Anderson are given credit for making early models that date back to the mid 1800’s in Europe.  Whether these models were drivable is another discussion entirely.

Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors was credited for making improvements to the electric car in the early 1900s.  His version was considered a far superior choice of automobiles, compared to the standard Model T.  Before Ford’s invention, people drove around in the hefty-sized vehicle that ran on a labor-intensive manual crank engine that took petroleum gas. The electric model was a much smoother ride when it came to start-up and acceleration.  It also emitted less fumes than most fuel-based vehicles at the time.  The negative was that cold weather affected the start time greatly, as it could take as long as forty minutes to warm up well enough to drive.  Also, the cost was much more than vehicles with fuel engines.

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By the late 1960’s, the crank engines were history and electric cars were gradually phased out as gas prices plummeted.  Also being built were freeways and longer roads, so by this time improvements were to vehicles so that they could manage a longer travel time. As it was easier for a person with an average income to buy a newer vehicle that was easy to start, there was a downside.  The air was being polluted by the growing number of vehicle on the road.   Large cities like Los Angeles and New York were hit especially hard as they experienced sudden spurts in their population.

In the meantime, test models of electric cars were still being built and tested throughout the 1970s and 1980s.  In the 1990’s, the State of California and others began to place restrictions on vehicles that had noticeable emissions.  Though mandatory pre-registration smog testing helped to make the air a little cleaner, the demand for an electric automobile became greater.

This made giants like Ford and Toyota take notice.

Though sports utility vehicles (SUVs) of the 1990s were popular, between manufacturer callbacks and the amount of gas needed to fill the tank, consumers desired another alternative. The demand for vehicles that were both smaller and easier to deal with at the gas pump were in high demand

Hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Toyota Prius are great sellers though still more costly overall. With employment at a low, it is uncertain to say what will become of electric or hybrid cars.

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