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History of Electric Cars
1834 Thomas Davenport invents the battery electric car using un-rechargeable batteries. 1859 Gaston Plante invents rechargeable lead-acid batteries. 1889 Thomas Edison builds an electric vehicle using nickel-alkaline batteries. 1890 William Morrison builds an electric vehicle in Des Moines that can travel for 13 hours at speed of 14 mph. 1895 The first auto race in America is won by the Electrobat II, an electric vehicle. 1896 Andrew Riker Company begins building electric vehicles. 1897 The first vehicle with an power steering is introduced. It is an electric car. 1899 Camille Jenatzy's 'Jamais Contente' sets the first land speed record of 66 mpg in a vehicle powered by two 12 volt motors. 1900 The first distance record is set by BGS Company's electric vehicle. It is driven 180 miles with one charge. Of all cars produced this year, 33% are steam cars, 33% are electric cars, and 33% are gasoline cars. 1903 The first speeding ticket is given. The driver is driving an electric vehicle. Krieger starts the first mass market production of hybrid cars. Their car is a front wheel drive electric gasoline hybrid car with power steering. 1930 Technological progress in electric cars comes to a rapid stop. The introduction of Ford's gasoline powered, internal combustion engine driven Model T this year virtually vipes out all electric car companies. 1960 GM begins work on their Electrovair, a converted Convair, and Ford begins the development of their sodium sulfur battery. 1967 The Electric Auto Association is formed. 1970 The oil crisis causes an interest in electric vehicles again. 1976 U.S. Congress passes the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research and Development Act. 1990 GM Impact (later renamed EV1) concept car is introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopts a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, requiring the automakers market shares to include 2% ZEVs by 1998, 5% by 2001, and 10% ZEVs by 2003. 1996 The requirements under CARBs ZEV mandate are loosened under pressure from auto industry, and the only remaining requirement is that 10% of new cars sold in 2003 and onwards should be ZEVs. GM EV1 electric car becomes available to the public as a lease. 2001 GM halts efforts to sell the EV1 electric car. 2003 CARB further modifies the ZEV mandate in California. The new mandate requirements now emphasize requirements for hybrid cars and fuel cell cars in favor of 100% electric cars. 2008 Tesla Roadster, a joint effort by Tesla Motors and Lotus Engineering, becomes the first all electric sports car to enter production.
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