Trystan Casey
The history of electric cars is a long and fascinating one, dating back to the 1820s and 1830s with the invention of crude electric carriages. Electric cars first became popular in the 1890s, with the first American electric vehicle being developed in 1891. These early electric cars were clean, quiet, and easy to use, especially compared to the hand-cranked gasoline-powered cars of the time. However, the widespread adoption of electric starters in gasoline-powered cars in the early 20th century contributed to a decline in the popularity of electric vehicles. The electric starter, invented by Charles Kettering and introduced in the 1912 Cadillac, eliminated the need for hand-cranking, addressing a significant drawback of gasoline cars. This, combined with the discovery of inexpensive oil sources, made gasoline-powered cars more appealing to consumers. Despite these setbacks, electric vehicles have continued to evolve and gain traction, with modern advancements and growing environmental concerns driving a resurgence in the electric car market.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First electric cars | 1820s and 1830s |
| First American electric vehicle | 1891 |
| First electric cabs | 1897 |
| First hybrid car in the US | 1999 |
| First modern all-electric car for the mass market | 2010 |
| Inventor of the electric starter | Charles Kettering |
| Year of invention of the electric starter | 1911 |
| First car with an electric starter | 1912 Cadillac |
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What You'll Learn
Electric cars were invented before gasoline autos
The first electric cars appeared long before the earliest gasoline autos. Electric cars have been around a lot longer than today's Tesla or even the General Motors EV1 of the late 1990s. In fact, electric cars appeared long before the internal-combustion sort, and people have never stopped trying to make them work both on the road and as a business proposition.
The history of electric cars is littered with innovative takes on four-wheeled transit. Crude electric carriages were invented in the late 1820s and 1830s. In the 1830s, Scotland's Robert Anderson built a motorized carriage sometime between 1832 and 1839. Batteries (galvanic cells) were not yet rechargeable at the time.
Commercially available electric vehicles appeared during the 1890s. In 1894, Philadelphians Pedro Salom and Henry G. Morris adapted technology from battery-electric street cars and boats and got a patent. Their vehicle, the Electrobat, employed pneumatic tires and lighter materials so that, by 1896, their rear-steer carriages used two 1.1-kW motors to move 25 miles at a top speed of 20 mph.
Electric cars quickly became popular with urban residents, especially women. They were perfect for short trips around the city, and poor road conditions outside cities meant few cars of any type could venture farther. Electric cars had a number of advantages over their early-1900s competitors. They did not have the vibration, smell, and noise associated with gasoline cars. They also did not require gear changes. Acceptance of electric cars was hampered by a lack of power infrastructure.
By 1900, electric cars were at their heyday, accounting for around a third of all vehicles on the road. However, by the 1920s, electric cars began to lose their position in the automobile market. Improved road infrastructure improved travel times, creating a need for vehicles with a greater range than that offered by electric cars. Worldwide discoveries of large petroleum reserves led to the wide availability of affordable petrol, making petrol-powered cars cheaper to operate over long distances. Electric cars were limited to urban use by their slow speed and low range, and gasoline cars were now able to travel farther and faster than their electric equivalents.
Interest in electric vehicles increased again in the 1970s and 1980s due to the energy crises and the independence that electric cars offered from the fluctuations of the hydrocarbon energy market. However, vehicles such as the intensely marketed Sinclair C5 failed. In 1996, California mandated that automakers sell a small percentage of zero-emission vehicles, leading to the introduction of the Nissan Leaf in 2010, the first modern all-electric, zero tailpipe emission five-door family hatchback to be produced for the mass market from a major manufacturer.
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Electric starters were invented by Charles Kettering in 1911
The electric starter motor for automobiles was invented by Charles Kettering and filed for patent on June 15, 1911. Kettering was an engineer, inventor, and longtime head of research and development for General Motors. He was awarded at least 140 patents in his lifetime, including the first cash register equipped with an electric motor and an incubator for premature infants.
Kettering's invention of the electric starter motor was a significant improvement for automobiles, which previously required a hand crank to start the ignition. The hand-cranking process was not only difficult but also dangerous, often leading to injuries such as broken hands, wrists, or shoulders. The electric starter motor made automobiles much easier and safer to operate.
Kettering's design served multiple purposes beyond just starting the car. It was designed to generate electricity while the car was running, produce a spark for ignition, and provide current for lighting. This made it a versatile and valuable addition to automobiles.
The electric starter motor was first introduced on the 1912 Cadillac, and by the 1920s, it had become a standard feature on nearly every new automobile. Kettering's invention revolutionized the automotive industry, making cars more accessible and convenient for drivers. His contributions to the field of automotive engineering, particularly with the electric starter motor, have had a lasting impact on the industry.
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They were first installed on the 1912 Cadillac Model Thirty
The first automobiles were electric, appearing before the widespread use of gasoline-powered cars. Electric cars were first introduced in the 1820s and 1830s, with practical, commercially available electric vehicles appearing in the 1890s. They quickly became popular with urban residents, especially women, due to their quietness, ease of use, and lack of unpleasant emissions.
However, gasoline-powered cars soon became a viable alternative to electric vehicles due to improvements in internal combustion engines in the 1800s. Gasoline cars had several drawbacks compared to their electric counterparts, including the need for hand cranking to start the engine, which was both difficult and dangerous.
The invention of the electric starter by Charles Kettering of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO) in 1911 solved the problem of hand cranking in gasoline-powered cars. The electric starter used a relatively small motor, driven with higher voltage and current, to crank the engine for starting. Interestingly, Kettering had previously implemented a similar idea in NCR's cash registers, replacing the hand crank with an electric motor.
The electric starters were first installed on the 1912 Cadillac Model Thirty, and this innovation soon spread through the industry. This development marked a significant step forward in the evolution of gasoline-powered automobiles, making them more convenient and user-friendly.
While electric cars enjoyed success in the early 1900s, they began to lose their market position due to various factors. Improved road infrastructure and the discovery of large petroleum reserves made gasoline-powered cars more attractive for long-distance travel. Electric cars were limited to urban areas due to their slow speed and low range. However, it's worth noting that electric vehicles continued to be used for specific applications, such as loading and freight equipment, and public transport, especially rail vehicles.
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Gasoline cars required manual effort to drive and a hand crank to start
The early 20th century saw the rise of gasoline-powered automobiles alongside electric automobiles. Gasoline cars required a lot of manual effort to drive. Changing gears was no easy task, and they needed to be started with a hand crank, making them difficult for some to operate. They were also noisy, and their exhaust was unpleasant.
The hand crank was a problematic aspect of gasoline cars. Starting these cars with a hand crank was not only difficult but also sometimes dangerous. The electric starter, invented by Charles Kettering of Dayton Engineering, replaced the hand crank in 1912, first for the Cadillac. The electric starter was a small motor, driven with higher voltage and current than would be feasible for continuous operation, delivering enough power to crank the engine for starting. The voltage and current levels were such that the motor would burn out in a few minutes of continuous operation but not during the few seconds needed to start the engine.
Gasoline cars with electric starters overcame many of their initial drawbacks compared to electric cars. They could now travel farther and faster than electric cars, which were limited to urban use due to their slow speed and low range. The discovery of inexpensive sources of oil also contributed to the decline of electric cars in the early 20th century.
While electric cars had been popular with urban residents, especially women, due to their quietness, ease of driving, and lack of smelly pollutants, the introduction of the electric starter in gasoline cars shifted the market. The electric starter was a significant development that contributed to the decline of electric cars and the rise of gasoline-powered automobiles.
It is worth noting that the Dodge used a combined starter-generator unit, which had some advantages and disadvantages. The starter-generator unit was directly coupled to the engine, eliminating the need for a method to engage and disengage the motor drive, resulting in negligible mechanical wear and silent operation. However, as a dual-purpose device, it was limited in power and output as the engine size and electrical demands of cars increased.
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Electric cars were popular in the early 20th century
Secondly, the horse was still the primary mode of transportation at the turn of the 20th century. As Americans became more prosperous, they embraced the newly invented motor vehicle, which offered steam, gasoline, or electric options. Electric vehicles were initially favoured due to their quiet, pollution-free nature, in contrast to the noisy, pollutant-emitting gasoline cars. This led to electric vehicles holding the vehicular land speed record until around 1900.
Additionally, electric cars found a niche market among upper-class customers, who valued their luxurious interiors and ornate designs. Electric vehicles were often marketed as luxury cars for women, which may have influenced their popularity within that demographic. By 1900, electric cars were at their heyday, accounting for around a third of all vehicles on the road. Their popularity continued into the early 1910s, with over 33,000 electric cars registered in the United States by 1912.
However, despite their early success, electric cars began to lose their dominance in the automobile market by the 1920s. Improved road infrastructure increased travel distances, highlighting the limited range of electric cars. The discovery of large petroleum reserves made petrol-powered cars more affordable and suitable for long-distance travel. Electric cars were restricted to urban areas due to their slow speed and short range. The invention of the electric starter by Charles Kettering for the 1912 Cadillac also eliminated the hand-cranking issue with gasoline cars, making them more appealing to consumers.
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Frequently asked questions
Charles Kettering, with Henry M. Leland, of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO), invented and filed a U.S. patent for an electric starter in 1911. The starters were first installed on the Cadillac Model Thirty in 1912.
A starter (also self-starter, cranking motor, or starter motor) is an apparatus installed in motor vehicles to rotate the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine to initiate the engine's combustion cycle.
Gasoline-powered cars required a lot of manual effort to drive and needed to be started with a hand crank, making them difficult for some to operate. The electric starter did away with the hand-crank problem for gas cars once it spread through the industry.
Before the advent of electric starters, gasoline cars required hand cranking to start, which was a difficult and sometimes dangerous activity.
