Introduced over a century ago, electric cars are experiencing a surge in popularity today, echoing many of the reasons that initially propelled them into the limelight. As consumers increasingly seek cost-effective and eco-conscious transportation solutions, the demand for electric drive vehicles—encompassing hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric models—is poised to escalate. While currently representing over 3 percent of new vehicle sales, electric vehicle sales are projected to potentially reach nearly 7 percent, translating to 6.6 million units annually worldwide by 2020, according to a Navigant Research report. This growing enthusiasm for electric vehicles prompts us to delve into the historical trajectory of this technology and explore its future direction, embarking on a journey through the annals of the electric car’s past.
The Genesis of Electric Vehicles
Pinpointing the precise inventor or nation behind the electric car proves to be a complex task. Instead, the emergence of the First Electric Cars was the culmination of various groundbreaking advancements throughout the 19th century, ranging from battery technology to the electric motor itself.
During the early 1800s, visionary minds across Hungary, the Netherlands, and the United States, including a Vermont blacksmith, began conceptualizing battery-powered vehicles, crafting some of the earliest rudimentary electric cars. Simultaneously, British inventor Robert Anderson engineered a primitive electric carriage. However, it was during the latter half of the 19th century that French and English inventors pioneered some of the first truly practical electric cars.
Alt text: Pioneers of first electric cars experimenting with early battery technology in the 19th century.
In the United States, the first successful electric car debuted around 1890, conceived by William Morrison, a chemist residing in Des Moines, Iowa. His six-passenger vehicle, capable of a top speed of 14 miles per hour, was essentially an electrified wagon, yet it ignited significant interest in electric vehicles.
In the ensuing years, electric vehicles from diverse manufacturers began to proliferate across the U.S. New York City even boasted a fleet exceeding 60 electric taxis. By 1900, electric cars had reached their zenith, constituting approximately one-third of all vehicles on the roads. Their robust sales continued throughout the subsequent decade.
The Golden Age and Decline of Early Electric Cars
To comprehend the widespread appeal of electric vehicles around 1900, it’s crucial to consider the evolution of personal transportation and the competing alternatives available at the time. At the dawn of the 20th century, the horse remained the predominant mode of transportation. However, as American society prospered, they increasingly turned to the newly invented motor vehicle – available in steam, gasoline, or electric variants – for personal mobility.
Steam power, a well-established and dependable energy source, had proven its reliability in powering factories and trains. While some of the earliest self-propelled vehicles in the late 1700s utilized steam, it wasn’t until the 1870s that this technology gained traction in automobiles. Steam vehicles, however, were not ideally suited for personal use. They necessitated lengthy start-up times, sometimes up to 45 minutes in cold weather, and required frequent water refills, thus limiting their range.
Concurrently with the emergence of electric vehicles, gasoline-powered cars entered the market, driven by advancements in internal combustion engine technology during the 1800s. While gasoline cars held promise, they were not without drawbacks. Operating them demanded considerable manual effort – gear shifting was cumbersome, and starting them involved a hand crank, making them challenging for some individuals to operate. They were also noisy and produced unpleasant exhaust fumes.
Electric cars sidestepped the issues associated with both steam and gasoline vehicles. They were remarkably quiet, effortless to drive, and emitted no noxious pollutants unlike their contemporaries. Electric cars rapidly gained favor among urban dwellers, particularly women. They were ideally suited for short urban commutes, and the poor road conditions prevalent outside of cities limited the practicality of long-distance travel for any type of vehicle. As electricity access expanded in the 1910s, charging electric cars became more convenient, further bolstering their popularity across diverse demographics, even attracting attention from “best known and prominent makers of gasoline cars,” as highlighted in a 1911 New York Times article.
Alt text: Classic first electric car from early 20th century highlighting design and urban appeal.
Numerous innovators of the era recognized the robust demand for electric vehicles and explored avenues to enhance the technology. Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the renowned sports car company, developed an electric car named the P1 in 1898. Around the same period, he also pioneered the world’s first hybrid electric car – a vehicle propelled by both electricity and a gasoline engine. Thomas Edison, a prolific inventor, championed electric vehicles as the superior technology and dedicated his efforts to creating improved electric vehicle batteries. Even Henry Ford, a friend of Edison, collaborated with him to investigate options for a low-cost electric car in 1914, as reported by Wired.
However, it was Henry Ford’s mass-produced Model T that dealt a significant blow to the electric car. Introduced in 1908, the Model T made gasoline-powered cars widely accessible and affordable. By 1912, the price of a gasoline car had plummeted to $650, while an electric roadster retailed for $1,750. In the same year, Charles Kettering unveiled the electric starter, eliminating the need for the hand crank and further propelling gasoline-powered vehicle sales.
Other factors also contributed to the decline of electric vehicles. By the 1920s, the U.S. had developed a more extensive road network connecting cities, and Americans yearned to explore beyond urban limits. The discovery of Texas crude oil led to inexpensive and readily available gasoline for rural Americans, and gas stations began to spring up across the nation. In contrast, electricity access remained limited in rural areas at that time. Consequently, electric vehicles virtually vanished by 1935.
Revivals Sparked by Crises: Gas Shortages and Environmentalism
For approximately three decades thereafter, electric vehicles entered a period of stagnation, with minimal technological progress. Abundant and inexpensive gasoline, coupled with continuous refinements in internal combustion engine technology, curtailed demand for alternative fuel vehicles.
Fast forward to the late 1960s and early 1970s. Soaring oil prices and gasoline shortages – culminating in the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo – ignited renewed interest in reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and exploring domestic fuel sources. Congress responded by enacting the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1976, authorizing the Energy Department to support research and development in electric and hybrid vehicles.
Around this time, numerous automakers, both large and small, began investigating alternative fuel vehicle options, including electric cars. For instance, General Motors developed a prototype urban electric car, showcased at the Environmental Protection Agency’s First Symposium on Low Pollution Power Systems Development in 1973. American Motor Company produced electric delivery jeeps, which the United States Postal Service tested in a 1975 pilot program. Even NASA contributed to raising the profile of electric vehicles when its electric Lunar rover became the first manned vehicle to traverse the moon in 1971.
Alt text: NASA electric Lunar Rover, an example of early and innovative electric vehicle use.
However, the electric vehicles developed and produced in the 1970s still suffered from performance limitations compared to gasoline-powered counterparts. Electric vehicles of this era typically had limited top speeds, often around 45 miles per hour, and their range was generally restricted to 40 miles before requiring recharging.
Environmental Concern Drives Electric Vehicles Forward
Another leap forward in time – this time to the 1990s. In the two decades since the gasoline shortages of the 1970s, enthusiasm for electric vehicles had largely waned. However, new federal and state regulations began to reshape the landscape. The passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment and the 1992 Energy Policy Act, coupled with new transportation emissions regulations implemented by the California Air Resources Board, spurred a resurgence of interest in electric vehicles in the U.S.
During this period, automakers started adapting some of their popular vehicle models into electric versions. This resulted in electric vehicles achieving speeds and performance levels much closer to those of gasoline-powered vehicles, with many offering a range of 60 miles.
One of the most iconic electric cars of this era was GM’s EV1, prominently featured in the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? Instead of modifying an existing model, GM engineered and developed the EV1 from the ground up. Boasting a range of 80 miles and acceleration from 0 to 50 miles per hour in a mere seven seconds, the EV1 quickly garnered a cult following. However, due to high production costs, the EV1 never achieved commercial viability, and GM discontinued it in 2001.
Amidst a thriving economy, a growing middle class, and low gasoline prices in the late 1990s, many consumers did not prioritize fuel-efficient vehicles. Despite limited public attention to electric vehicles at this time, scientists and engineers, with support from the Energy Department, continued to work behind the scenes to enhance electric vehicle technology, particularly batteries.
The Modern Renaissance of Electric Cars
While the intermittent progress of the electric vehicle industry in the latter half of the 20th century demonstrated the technology’s potential, the genuine resurgence of electric vehicles commenced around the turn of the 21st century. Depending on perspective, either of two events ignited the current widespread interest in electric vehicles.
The first pivotal moment often cited is the introduction of the Toyota Prius. Launched in Japan in 1997, the Prius became the world’s first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. In 2000, the Prius was released globally and became an instant success, particularly among celebrities, significantly elevating the car’s profile. Toyota utilized nickel metal hydride batteries in the Prius, a technology supported by Energy Department research. Subsequently, rising gasoline prices and growing concerns about carbon emissions have propelled the Prius to become the best-selling hybrid worldwide over the past decade.
(Historical footnote: Before the Prius reached the U.S. market, Honda introduced the Insight hybrid in 1999, making it the first hybrid sold in the U.S. since the early 1900s.)
The second event that reshaped the electric vehicle landscape was the 2006 announcement by Tesla Motors, a small Silicon Valley startup, that it would produce a luxury electric sports car capable of exceeding 200 miles on a single charge. In 2010, Tesla received a $465 million loan from the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office – a loan Tesla repaid a full nine years ahead of schedule](/articles/moniz-tesla-repayment-shows-strength-energy-departments-overall-loan-portfolio) – to establish a manufacturing facility in California. In the relatively short time since, Tesla has garnered widespread acclaim for its vehicles and has become the largest auto industry employer in California.
Tesla’s announcement and subsequent success spurred numerous major automakers to accelerate their own electric vehicle development efforts. In late 2010, the Chevy Volt and the Nissan LEAF were launched in the U.S. market. The Volt, the first commercially available plug-in hybrid, features a gasoline engine that supplements its electric drive once the battery is depleted, enabling consumers to drive primarily on electric power for most trips while retaining the extended range of gasoline. In contrast, the LEAF is an all-electric vehicle (also known as a battery-electric vehicle or simply EV), powered exclusively by an electric motor.
Over the ensuing years, other automakers introduced electric vehicles in the U.S. However, consumers still encountered one of the historical challenges of electric vehicles: charging infrastructure on the go. Through the Recovery Act, the Energy Department invested over $115 million to facilitate the development of a nationwide charging infrastructure, deploying more than 18,000 residential, commercial, and public chargers across the country. Automakers and private businesses also installed their own chargers at strategic locations across the U.S., bringing the current total of public electric vehicle chargers to over 8,000 locations with more than 20,000 charging outlets.
Simultaneously, advancements in new battery technology, supported by the Energy Department’s Vehicle Technologies Office, began to permeate the market, enhancing the range of plug-in electric vehicles. In addition to battery technology found in virtually all first-generation hybrids, Department research also contributed to the development of lithium-ion battery technology utilized in the Volt. More recently, the Department’s investment in battery research and development has facilitated a 50 percent reduction in electric vehicle battery costs over the last four years, while simultaneously improving battery performance (power, energy, and durability). This cost reduction, in turn, has made electric vehicles more affordable for consumers.
Consumers now have an unprecedented array of choices in the electric vehicle market. Today, 23 plug-in electric and 36 hybrid models are available in various sizes, from the two-passenger Smart ED to the midsized Ford C-Max Energi to the BMW i3 luxury SUV. As gasoline prices continue to rise and electric vehicle prices continue to decline, electric vehicles are gaining traction, with over 234,000 plug-in electric vehicles and 3.3 million hybrids currently on U.S. roads.
The Road Ahead for Electric Cars
Predicting the precise future trajectory of electric vehicles remains uncertain, but their potential to contribute to a more sustainable future is undeniable. If the entire fleet of light-duty vehicles in the U.S. transitioned to hybrids or plug-in electric vehicles utilizing current technology, we could curtail our reliance on foreign oil by 30-60 percent while reducing carbon emissions from the transportation sector by up to 20 percent.
To facilitate these emissions reductions, President Obama launched the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge in 2012 – an Energy Department initiative uniting leading American scientists, engineers, and businesses to make plug-in electric vehicles as affordable as today’s gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022. On the battery technology front, the Department’s Joint Center for Energy Storage Research at Argonne National Laboratory is actively addressing the most significant scientific and technical obstacles hindering large-scale battery improvements.
Furthermore, the Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is championing transformative technologies that could fundamentally alter our perception of electric vehicles. From investments in new battery types capable of extending driving range on a single charge to cost-effective alternatives to materials crucial for electric motors, ARPA-E’s projects hold the potential to revolutionize electric vehicles.
Ultimately, only time will reveal the precise path electric vehicles will take in the future.
