Summary
- Early 20th century saw thousands of electric vehicles in operation worldwide.
- Electric vehicles were preferred due to safety and convenience compared to gasoline cars.
- By 1900, around 38% of all registered motor vehicles in the US were electric.
- Electric vehicles like the Detroit Electric were popular for luxury city transportation.
- Although electric cars faced challenges like limited range and high cost, they remained popular until the introduction of the electric starter motor in the 1920s.
Article
At the turn of the 20th century, electric vehicles were prevalent around the world due to their perceived advantages over gasoline-powered cars. Electric vehicles did not require a dangerous crank-starting procedure, didn’t backfire or spew oil, and were known for being quiet and torquey, as gasoline was not as widely available as it is today. By the 1890s, steam had become the main source of power for trains and industrial applications, with gasoline-powered personal transportation still in its early stages. Around 38% of all motor vehicles registered in the United States in 1900 were electric, and this number grew to over 38,000 by 1912.
During the early 1900s, several manufacturers in America started series production of electric vehicles, including Waverly Company, Studebaker Electric, Beardsley Electric Company, Columbia Electric, and Baker Electric. Detroit Electric, in particular, became the most prolific manufacturer of early EVs, selling about 13,000 battery-powered cars between 1907 and 1939. These early EVs were marketed as luxurious city runabouts and were popular with celebrities for running errands. Many shopping centers even had electric car chargers to attract wealthy EV owners. Despite their popularity, most early EVs had a limited range of 40 miles on one charge and a top speed of about 20 mph.
Notable early electric vehicles from this period include the Le Jamais Contente, which set the record for the fastest vehicle back in the late 1800s, and Oliver Parker Fritchle’s 100-Mile Fritchle Electric, which could travel 100 miles on one charge. Electric vans were also manufactured for last-mile delivery duties and were used as ambulances and police wagons. In the United Kingdom, electric milk delivery vehicles known as “milk floats” were introduced in the early 1900s and remained in service for several decades until they became obsolete due to advancements in technology and changes in consumer habits.
Despite their popularity, early EVs faced challenges such as high cost, limited range, expensive batteries that took a long time to charge, and the improvement of combustion engine cars. The advent of the electric starter motor in the mid-1920s revolutionized the industry and led to the decline of electric vehicles as combustion engine cars became more accessible. However, the idea of battery-powered cars persisted, and the next installment of this series will explore how the fuel and resource shortages during World War II and its aftermath nearly revived the concept of electric vehicles. Additionally, the 1922 Detroit Electric was a posh two-door EV priced at almost $3,000, significantly higher than a Ford Model T, showcasing the luxury and innovation in early electric vehicle design.
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