During the early days of the development of the automobile, there were many competing types as inventors tried to come up with, among other things, the best fuel source, including steam, biofuel, petroleum and electricity.
In the 1830s and 1840s, several electric cells (batteries) were invented for use in electric cars and, as storage improved, giving them longer lasting performance, electric cars became very popular. Unlike most other cars of the day, electric cars gave off no noise, vibrations, or smells, plus started with having to hand crank them. Initially, electric cars outsold gas-powered cars 10-1.
Unfortunately, while electric cars were fine for getting around town, as roads were built and travel between communities became possible, their lack of range became a then-insurmountable problem. Plus other car improvements, such as Henry Ford's mass-produced cars, the invention of the electric starter, and cheap gas prices, made the electric car obsolete.
Starting in the 1960s, though, more and more people began to see the need for alternative fuel vehicles as a way to reduce pollution as well as our dependence on foreign oil. While electric cars still suffered from a lack of range, they became alternatives in certain environments. For example, the US Postal Service used a fleet of them as delivery vehicles, while the use of golf carts as transportation in many senior communities started burgeoning.
It wasn't until the last 15-20 years, though, that electric car technology has really taken off, both as purely electric cars and as hybrids. In part this is due to government regulation requiring more stringent air emissions...some states have even issued Zero Emission Vehicle mandates...and partly due to advancements in the technology itself, including the electric cells themselves, such as nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion battery packs. Improved batteries allow for longer storage as well as quicker recharging time. And, like the earliest version, electric cars have fewer moving parts to break down.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles will be seen more and more on the road today. While hybrids also have an internal combustion engine, they operate as an electric car during charging and using their electric power and, depending on how they're used, may not ever actually use their gas engine. Just plug them in and recharge your electric car's battery!
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Labels: Electric Cars