Well over a century ago, electric cars were twice as popular in the United States as those running on petrol. This was at a time when even the Queen of England was driving an electric car.
This is great article on the subject. I remember looking in an old printed World Book Encyclopedia when I was a kid in the section under automobiles and being surprised that the first electric car was built in 1891. It seems that even back then these vehicles were especially difficult to mass produce and sell, let alone create the complicated supply chains that are needed to acquire the materials to even build them. About a hundred years ago cars required an electric motor to turn the engine over in order for it start, thus eliminated the need for a crank in the front of the vehicle that was very dangerous to turn. Nowadays that same electric motor exists in our gas-powered vehicles as a "starter". At any rate, I really find it hard to see how electric cars are going to be built at the level to replace more than 300 million cars on American roads today. Even with companies like Tesla that know how to produce them in quantity, there is only about half a million electric cars on our roads today. It will take decades before electric vehicles can reach the critical mass necessary to replace internal combustion engine vehicles. I also wonder how long electric cars will last in the Southeastern United States where it is especially hot and humid here. This type of climate severely limits the life of the batteries in these vehicles. I've been using an electric mower for about three years and the battery doesn't work well in the summer heat and recently stopped working altogether and won't re-charge anymore. Another thing I worry about is the fact that there are no coolant systems on these electric cars like there is in gas powered cars. I talked to a firefighter and he said that when an electric car catches fire, it burns at over 5,000 degrees F and you can't extinguish with water, because it is an electrical fire. Contrast that with a gas powered car that burns at !,500 degrees F and takes 10,000 gallons of water to extinguish. None of the politicians pushing this tech say anything about the dangers of these vehicles. So, if you own an electric vehicle and it catches fire, then you have about three seconds to exit the vehicle or you will be a piece of bacon!
When electric cars were popular in America, most of the population was still in the rural areas. Electric was probably fine for some city like NYC, but impractical as they are now for trips between cities. I've seen electric cars stopped towing a trailer with a generator running to recharge their car.
I think it's more likely we'll find another replacement for the internal combustion engine before electric cars become popular. Hybrids or fuel cell maybe on hydrogen. I've used hydrogen to increase the mileage on gas and diesel engines. as much as 25%, but that problem is making or buying the hydrogen.
I'm tired of politicians or the EPA shoving bad ideas down out throats before there is a real replacement for products we use every day.
Climate change is not urgent. There are more polar bears and more sea ice that when all this climate change was invented.
Petrol is a marvelous substance, it is energy dense and a liquid, which it means it can be readily stored in any shape tank that one cares to make. We release the energy contained in it by burning it in air that is freely available to a motor vehicle and doesn't have to be carried around, which is fortunate as it makes up 78% of the mass that goes in to the engine. A battery powered vehicle has to carry all of its stored energy with it. Because petrol is so energy dense battery technology will never be able to compete. The standard fuel pump at a filling station delivers energy at around 60MW. At home you would be doing well to run a 6kW car charger, i.e. the filling station is 10,000 times better. An electric vehicle is more efficient and doesn't need as much 'fuel' for a given journey and, arguably, if it is sitting at home most of the day there perhaps isn't the same need for 'pit stop' fueling but that doesn't apply to buses, construction and farming vehicles and others with high annual mileage.
Thanks very much, Simon, for this very interesting article. I do get the impression that nowadays the received opinion is that the initial phasing out of electric powered vehicles was due to unfair competition from the petrol lobby, not to speak of the oil interests in buying producers of electric cars and then closing them down.
The reason is electric cars catch on fire, can't find charging stations or if they do it's a long wait. They're no good for road trips. And they create more pollution in their making and disposal than all the pollution from gas and diesel engines.
I have really enjoyed reading this article Simon. It brought to mind a query; was the Invacar electric? A little search confirmed that it was petrol, as assumed for most of my life, I was born in 1964. The origins of the Invacar is also fascinating as I’ve just rediscovered.
An interesting article - I was aware of early electrical vehicles and I still remember the milk floats of the 70s which were also powered by electric battery. I am not convinced that modern electrical vehicles are as environmentally friendly as the government would have us believe. I am keeping me diesel and will probably get another diesel before 2030, which would probably be my last car.
My understanding was that, just as now, many people invested in the petrol car industry put out lots of propaganda to damage the perception of electric cars
That theory doesn't explain why the people invested in electric cars couldn't fight back if electric cars were so much better, especially considering they had a head start.
At that early period you describe automobiles were few in number and mostly owned by the upper class, upper middle class, or businesses. You also didn't mention what proportion of vehicles were "external combustion", i.e. steam engine cars, usually fueled by kerosene. These were produced well into the 20th century and had a greater speed and range than electric cars but were almost as quiet.
I mention that 40% of the cars in America in 1900 were steam cars. I shall be writing a separate article about this subject and it ties in with the story of steam=powered aeroplanes.
This is great article on the subject. I remember looking in an old printed World Book Encyclopedia when I was a kid in the section under automobiles and being surprised that the first electric car was built in 1891. It seems that even back then these vehicles were especially difficult to mass produce and sell, let alone create the complicated supply chains that are needed to acquire the materials to even build them. About a hundred years ago cars required an electric motor to turn the engine over in order for it start, thus eliminated the need for a crank in the front of the vehicle that was very dangerous to turn. Nowadays that same electric motor exists in our gas-powered vehicles as a "starter". At any rate, I really find it hard to see how electric cars are going to be built at the level to replace more than 300 million cars on American roads today. Even with companies like Tesla that know how to produce them in quantity, there is only about half a million electric cars on our roads today. It will take decades before electric vehicles can reach the critical mass necessary to replace internal combustion engine vehicles. I also wonder how long electric cars will last in the Southeastern United States where it is especially hot and humid here. This type of climate severely limits the life of the batteries in these vehicles. I've been using an electric mower for about three years and the battery doesn't work well in the summer heat and recently stopped working altogether and won't re-charge anymore. Another thing I worry about is the fact that there are no coolant systems on these electric cars like there is in gas powered cars. I talked to a firefighter and he said that when an electric car catches fire, it burns at over 5,000 degrees F and you can't extinguish with water, because it is an electrical fire. Contrast that with a gas powered car that burns at !,500 degrees F and takes 10,000 gallons of water to extinguish. None of the politicians pushing this tech say anything about the dangers of these vehicles. So, if you own an electric vehicle and it catches fire, then you have about three seconds to exit the vehicle or you will be a piece of bacon!
Informative and surprising as usual Simon. I think I'm right in saying that you touched on this in your top notch book, The Analogue Revolution.
I can see it is impossible to get anything past you! Yes, you are quite right. I thought that it was something which most people might not know about.
When electric cars were popular in America, most of the population was still in the rural areas. Electric was probably fine for some city like NYC, but impractical as they are now for trips between cities. I've seen electric cars stopped towing a trailer with a generator running to recharge their car.
I think it's more likely we'll find another replacement for the internal combustion engine before electric cars become popular. Hybrids or fuel cell maybe on hydrogen. I've used hydrogen to increase the mileage on gas and diesel engines. as much as 25%, but that problem is making or buying the hydrogen.
I'm tired of politicians or the EPA shoving bad ideas down out throats before there is a real replacement for products we use every day.
Climate change is not urgent. There are more polar bears and more sea ice that when all this climate change was invented.
Petrol is a marvelous substance, it is energy dense and a liquid, which it means it can be readily stored in any shape tank that one cares to make. We release the energy contained in it by burning it in air that is freely available to a motor vehicle and doesn't have to be carried around, which is fortunate as it makes up 78% of the mass that goes in to the engine. A battery powered vehicle has to carry all of its stored energy with it. Because petrol is so energy dense battery technology will never be able to compete. The standard fuel pump at a filling station delivers energy at around 60MW. At home you would be doing well to run a 6kW car charger, i.e. the filling station is 10,000 times better. An electric vehicle is more efficient and doesn't need as much 'fuel' for a given journey and, arguably, if it is sitting at home most of the day there perhaps isn't the same need for 'pit stop' fueling but that doesn't apply to buses, construction and farming vehicles and others with high annual mileage.
Interesting article . But... If Thomas Edison hadn't met Henry Ford ,we might have only electric cars today. I love electric cars.
A good idea for an alternative universe!
Thanks very much, Simon, for this very interesting article. I do get the impression that nowadays the received opinion is that the initial phasing out of electric powered vehicles was due to unfair competition from the petrol lobby, not to speak of the oil interests in buying producers of electric cars and then closing them down.
The reason is electric cars catch on fire, can't find charging stations or if they do it's a long wait. They're no good for road trips. And they create more pollution in their making and disposal than all the pollution from gas and diesel engines.
I have really enjoyed reading this article Simon. It brought to mind a query; was the Invacar electric? A little search confirmed that it was petrol, as assumed for most of my life, I was born in 1964. The origins of the Invacar is also fascinating as I’ve just rediscovered.
Thanks.
Thanks for reading it. I'm really glad that you enjoyed this piece!
An interesting article - I was aware of early electrical vehicles and I still remember the milk floats of the 70s which were also powered by electric battery. I am not convinced that modern electrical vehicles are as environmentally friendly as the government would have us believe. I am keeping me diesel and will probably get another diesel before 2030, which would probably be my last car.
Nobody actually wants an electric car!
My understanding was that, just as now, many people invested in the petrol car industry put out lots of propaganda to damage the perception of electric cars
That theory doesn't explain why the people invested in electric cars couldn't fight back if electric cars were so much better, especially considering they had a head start.
When petrol-driven cars are cheap and convenient, then we will probably stick to them, rather than electrical ones.
At that early period you describe automobiles were few in number and mostly owned by the upper class, upper middle class, or businesses. You also didn't mention what proportion of vehicles were "external combustion", i.e. steam engine cars, usually fueled by kerosene. These were produced well into the 20th century and had a greater speed and range than electric cars but were almost as quiet.
I mention that 40% of the cars in America in 1900 were steam cars. I shall be writing a separate article about this subject and it ties in with the story of steam=powered aeroplanes.