A common misconception about the EV is that it’s a relatively recent technological breakthrough. However, EVs have actually been a persistent part of automotive discourse since the 1800s and predate internal combustion cars, experiencing a meteoric rise and fall across different periods of history.
Origins
Technically, there’s no sole proprietor of the EV, and its origins can’t be traced back to a specific country either. The emergence of small-scale electric cars across the world, particularly in Hungary, Norway and the United States, were triggered when scientific breakthroughs were made in the realms of batteries and electric motors. These tools would help transform the EV from a mere concept into reality. Innovators such as Robert Anderson (Scottish) and Anyos Jedlik (Hungarian) invented a crude electric carriage and a small model car between 1828 and 1839. French and English inventors followed suit in the 1850s. In the United States, the first electric car was a six-passenger vehicle that had a maximum speed of 14 miles per hour. A chemist named William Morrison in Des Moines, Iowa, was responsible for this in 1890, inadvertently becoming a catalyst for the EV’s development in the United States.
The rise of the EV
In the early 20th century, horse driven carts were the primary mode of transportation. Eventually, motorized steam, gasoline and electric vehicles gained popularity. After their development in the 1870s, steam powered vehicles were the top choice for most consumers. However, their market dominance was short-lived because of their set of unique, restrictive hurdles: they had cumbersome, long startup times of up to 45 minutes, and the fact that they constantly had to be refilled with water limited their range. Enter the other two automotive options: gasoline and electric vehicles.
In 1886, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz developed gasoline automobiles in Germany – this was around the same time William Morrison was crystallizing his prototype of the world’s earliest EV in the USA. Daimler and Benz’s gasoline powered cars required drivers to start the vehicle with an impossibly heavy hand crank. Additionally, amid the noise and pollutant-heavy exhaust of the gasoline-powered car, people found shifting its gears to be an unreasonably difficult task.
Electric vehicles seemed like the winner within this context. They were cleaner, quieter, had shorter start times because they were powered by electric motors, and were easier to drive (no gear changing required!). Between 1899 and 1900, EVs outsold all other vehicles, and their prevalence among urban residents inspired pioneers like Porsche to develop the world’s first hybrid car, and Thomas Edison and Henry Ford to develop their version of an affordable EV. In fact, electric cars were so popular that they accounted for a third of all vehicles, and most of New York’s taxis were electric. In a 1911 New York Times article, it was disclosed that even the “best known and most prominent makers of gasoline cars in this country use electrics for driving between their homes and their offices.”
The end of an era: the demise of the EV
EVs were relatively affordable; priced at about $2000, they were ideal for short distances within cities. Henry Ford disrupted the EV’s reign over the automotive market when his assembly line led to the mass production and distribution of a new, revolutionary vehicle: the gas-powered Model T in 1908. In 1912, a gasoline car only cost $650 and didn’t require a manual start, effectively eliminating the preference for EVs. Here, it’s important to note that in 1908, Oliver Fritchle developed one of the industry’s best battery-powered EVs at the time; he claimed his “Fritchle Electric” could drive up to 100 miles on a single charge. The vehicle was marketed as ideal for long distance trips across the USA at a time where road networks weren’t fully formed, and charging stations were present – but scant.
Once the US developed a more robust road network after World War 1, drivers were risk-averse, and gravitated towards long range vehicles that could travel great distances without requiring multiple stops for charging batteries. The gasoline vehicle took precedence here once again, and became even more accessible to the average consumer after the discovery of Texas crude oil, which significantly reduced the price of gasoline. Suddenly, the ownership and maintenance of gasoline vehicles wasn’t so out of reach, and eventually, electric cars were rendered obsolete by 1935.
Resurgence
The EV market was more or less dormant until the 1970s, when the world became wrought with multiple oil crises. During this period, gasoline prices soared to unprecedented rates, sparking a renewed interest in exploring EV technology. The US government even passed the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development and Demonstration Act in 1976 to promote EV research and development! While GE and Audi developed models for hybrid cars in 1982 and 1989 respectively, neither model surpassed the abilities of their primitive predecessors from the early 1900s.
The breakthrough that arguably inspired the global shift towards manufacturing the EV happened in 1997, when Toyota mass produced the Prius in Japan. The Prius used newer technologies like the nickel metal hydride battery, and was the recipient of many celebrity endorsements upon its worldwide release in 2000. The Prius became one of the world’s best selling hybrids. Gasoline prices never really stabilized after the 1970s; coupled with the world’s gradually heightened awareness of climate change, fossil fuel dependency and carbon emissions, electric cars gained much more popularity once again. In 2006, Tesla Motors announced it would produce luxury electric sports cars that could exceed 200 miles on a single charge. Tesla’s success fundamentally reshaped the trajectory of the EV. Many automakers used its profitability and rapid expansion as the basis for justifying their own pursuit of EV development. In late 2010, Chevy developed the Volt (the first commercially available plug-in hybrid) and Nissan released the LEAF (an all electric vehicle).
The present day
It’s safe to say that EVs are becoming increasingly common each year. More companies are finding it necessary to branch out into the technology, and consumers can now choose from over 23 plug-in electric and 36 hybrid models across multiple brands. Hundreds more are expected in the years to come.
Gasoline prices are continuing to rise at a time where economic uncertainty is rife, so consumers everywhere are looking for more viable, sustainable modes of transportation. In light of these circumstances, as well as an international shift towards environmentally conscious, responsible consumerism, EV penetration feels like a natural next step at this critical juncture in our lives. It’s all slowly adding up: Tesla is now one of the most valuable automotive companies in the world, worth $1 trillion. The amount of EVs on the road has exponentially increased, and there were 10 million on the world’s roads at the end of 2020. In 2021, nearly 10% of global car sales were electric. McKinsey & Company project that by 2035, all the largest automotive markets will go electric. Countries across Europe are working to reduce their dependence on Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. Joe Biden insists EVs should make up half of America’s vehicle fleet by 2030. Norway is inching closer to ending ICE sales entirely, and China is one of the top markets in the world for EV sales.
Ultimately, in a world that’s desperately inching towards meaningful, long term decarbonization efforts, EVs offer governments and consumers alike a beacon of hope. With the technological, infrastructural and legislative advancements we’re seeing in their favor today, there’s no reason they can’t (or shouldn’t) dominate once again.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_electric_vehicle
- https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car
- https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g43480930/history-of-electric-cars/
- https://blog.evbox.com/electric-cars-history
- https://avt.inl.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/fsev/HistoryOfElectricCars.pdf
- https://www.autoweek.com/news/green-cars/a43713255/global-ev-sales-expected-to-top-35-percent-in-2023-iea-study-says/
- https://interestingengineering.com/transportation/a-brief-history-and-evolution-of-electric-cars
- https://edisontechcenter.org/ElectricCars.html
- https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/a-brief-history-of-the-electric-car/#:~:text=Thomas%20Parker%2C%20an%20English%20inventor,by%20German%20engineer%20Andreas%20Flocken.
- https://archive.curbed.com/2017/9/22/16346892/electric-car-history-fritchle
- https://qz.com/1316554/early-1900s-evs-were-marketed-to-women-because-gas-cars-were-too-complicated
