Umair Gaines
Ford has been making electric cars for over 100 years. The first-ever Ford electric vehicle was a bare-bones, battery-powered Model T, built by Henry Ford in 1914. Thomas Edison, a friend of Henry Ford, and his camping buddy, also tried his hand at an electric car and built at least one prototype before deciding that gasoline engines were more promising. In 1914, Ford and Edison partnered to explore options for a low-cost electric car. However, Ford's subsequent loss of interest in the project proved to be the true death blow, and Ford Motor Company wouldn't try to make another electric vehicle for almost a century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of the first Ford electric vehicle | 1914 |
| Name of the first Ford electric vehicle | Model T-based electric car |
| Number of Ford electric vehicle prototypes built | At least 2 |
| Investment in the Ford electric vehicle project | $1.5 million |
| Battery type | Edison nickel-iron batteries |
| Number of Ford Ranger EV trucks made | 1,500 |
| Year of the first Ford electric vehicle announcement | Dec. 2017 |
| Number of new Ford EVs announced | 16 |
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What You'll Learn
Henry Ford's first electric car
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, camping buddies and friends, worked together on an affordable electric vehicle. Edison, a prolific inventor, had been working on battery technology and started offering nickel-iron batteries for several uses, including automobiles. He had also built a battery-powered front-wheel-drive electric car in 1895.
Ford and Edison built at least one electric car prototype before deciding that the gasoline engine had a more promising future. One factor was that electricity was not yet widely available outside city centres, severely limiting the market for cars tied to that infrastructure.
Ford's wife, Clara Ford, drove a succession of Detroit Electrics from 1908 to 1914. She found her husband's product dirty and noisy. In 1914, Ford told reporters in New York:
> "The problem so far has been to build a storage battery of light weight which would operate for long distances without recharging."
The pair envisioned a 1,100-pound car containing 405 pounds of battery equipment, priced at $600. However, the Ford-Edison project ultimately fell through, partly due to battery troubles.
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Thomas Edison's influence
It is hard to pinpoint the invention of the electric car to one inventor or country. However, Thomas Edison, one of the world's most prolific inventors, played a significant role in the development of electric vehicles.
Edison was a strong believer in the future of electric vehicles, and he worked on building a better electric vehicle battery. He designed and built several electric cars, including a battery-powered front-wheel-drive electric car in 1895 and three electric cars in 1912. Edison's cars used his nickel-iron Edison Storage Batteries, which were lighter and longer-lasting than previous lead-acid batteries. In 1910, one of his electric cars embarked on a 1,000-mile promotional tour, charging along the way and ending with a climb up Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
Edison also collaborated with Henry Ford, who worked for Edison at the Detroit Edison Illuminating Company, on an affordable electric vehicle. They planned to develop a low-cost electric car as late as 1914, envisioning a lightweight car containing a substantial amount of battery equipment. However, the project ultimately fell through due to battery troubles and the rise of Ford's more affordable Model T, which made gasoline-powered cars widely available.
Despite Edison's efforts, his work with electric cars was not one of his noteworthy successes. The advent of World War I also played a role in the decline of electric vehicles, as internal combustion engines became more practical for wartime conditions due to the lack of charging stations. Nevertheless, Edison's contributions to electric vehicle technology, particularly his advancements in battery technology, laid the groundwork for future developments in the industry.
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Ford's electric car prototypes
The history of Ford's electric car prototypes dates back to the early 20th century, when Henry Ford and Thomas Edison collaborated on an affordable electric vehicle. Edison, a prolific inventor, had made advancements in battery technology and offered nickel-iron batteries suitable for automobiles. However, these batteries had limitations, including slow charging times, lower voltage output, and higher costs. Despite their efforts, the project faced challenges, and Ford ultimately shifted his focus to gasoline-powered vehicles.
One of Ford's early prototypes was the electric Model T, which was essentially a Model T Ford with an electric powertrain. Fred Allison, one of the company's top electrical experts, played a crucial role in developing this prototype. While the prototype worked well, Ford considered the Edison batteries to be a deal-breaker due to their performance and cost issues. As a result, the electric Model T project was discontinued.
Another notable prototype was the Ford Capri, which had at least eleven different concepts for replacement over the years. One of the earliest was a clay model that featured pop-up lights. However, Henry Ford II rejected this design, stating that "No Capri will ever have pop-up lights.".
In addition to these prototypes, Ford and Edison built at least one prototype before deciding that gasoline engines had a more promising future. This decision was influenced by the limited availability of electricity outside city centers, which restricted the market for electric vehicles.
Ford has continued to invest in electric car development, with a $135 million commitment announced in 2020. The company planned to have 10 to 25 percent of its fleet electrified in some way by the same year. Ford's history with electric car prototypes dates back over a century, and the company continues to innovate and explore the potential of electric vehicles.
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The Model T-based electric car
The Ford Model T, introduced in 1908, made gasoline-powered cars widely available and affordable. However, Ford had also been working on an electric vehicle, alongside his friend and mentor, Thomas Edison. In 1914, Ford, with Edison's help, built an electric Model T. This was not the first time Ford had experimented with electric cars. In 1896, he drove his Quadricycle on the streets of Detroit and, later, he and Edison built at least one prototype of an electric car before deciding that the gasoline engine had a more promising future.
In 1913, Ford sold almost 180,000 Model Ts and, in 1914, sales exceeded a quarter of a million units. That same year, Ford began to re-examine electric propulsion and started a publicity campaign, with reports and rumours appearing in the press that he was developing an inexpensive electric car to be sold alongside the Model T. In an interview with The New York Times, Henry Ford confirmed the rumours, stating, "Within a year, I hope, we shall begin the manufacture of an electric automobile".
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Ford's future EV plans
Although Ford's first electric vehicle (EV) was never released, the company has been working on electric cars since its early days. In 1903, Thomas Edison announced plans to convert four large touring cars to electric power using his own nickel-iron batteries. Henry Ford, who worked for Edison at the time, also built at least one electric prototype with Edison before they both decided to focus on gasoline engines.
Today, Ford is continuing to invest in a broad set of EV programs as it works towards building a full EV line-up. Despite experiencing growth in electric car sales in the first quarter of 2024, Ford has scaled back its all-electric ambitions, citing a lack of consumer interest in full-EV cars. Instead, the company plans to expand its hybrid offerings, with hybrid powertrains expected to be available across its entire Ford Blue lineup in North America by the end of the decade.
Ford's limited number of existing EVs, including the Lightning and Mach-E, will remain in the North American portfolio. The company has also invested in a separate production facility for the Lightning, demonstrating its commitment to this EV. In addition, Ford is developing a smaller, low-cost, flexible EV platform that can underpin multiple vehicles at high volumes. This project is being led by a skunkworks team in California.
Looking to the future, Ford has several upcoming EV launches planned. The company has retimed the launch of its all-new three-row electric vehicles to 2027 and is preparing its Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant to produce these next-generation electric vehicles. Ford is also working on an electric SUV, with both rear- and all-wheel-drive variants, which will be manufactured at the Niehl plant in Cologne. The company intends to manufacture 30,000 units of this model in 2023, with a combined total of 600,000 units of its future Volkswagen architecture EVs expected later this decade. In addition, the JMC-Ford venture is likely to continue producing the electric Territory at their Nanchang plant until late 2025, with a new model expected in early 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
The first-ever Ford electric vehicle was a bare-bones, battery-powered Model T, built by Henry Ford in 1914.
Yes, they did. Thomas Edison, a prolific inventor, and Henry Ford, an automobile industrialist, worked together on an affordable electric vehicle.
Historians are unsure why Ford never delivered on his promise for the Edison-Ford car. Some speculate that he was pulled away by other projects, while others believe that the electric self-starter was the reason.
Yes, Ford has released several electric vehicles since the Model T, including the Ford Ranger EV pickup truck, which was released in the early 1990s, and the Ford Focus Electric, which was launched in 2011.
In December 2017, Ford announced the creation of a new division called Team Edison, dedicated to designing and producing electric and autonomous vehicles. The company plans to invest $11 billion to produce 16 fully electric vehicles by 2022.
