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History of the electric vehicles began in the mid-1800s and held the vehicular land speed record until around 1900. The high cost and low top speed of electric vehicles compared to later internal combustion vehicles caused a worldwide decline in their use, and only relatively recently have they re-emerged into the public eye.

Thomas Edison and an electric car, 1913 (courtesy of the National Museum of American History)

Electric motive power started with a small railway operated by a miniature electric motor, built by Thomas Davenport in 1835. In 1838, a Scotsman named Robert Davidson built an electric locomotive that attained a speed of four miles an hour. In England a patent was granted in 1840 for the use of rails as conductors of electric current, and similar American patents were issued to Lilley and Colten in 1847. Between 1832 and 1839 (the exact year is uncertain), Robert Anderson of Scotland invented the first crude electric carriage, powered by non-rechargeable Primary cells.

Electric cars started to become popular because they were quieter and ran smoother than other cars. After improvements to storage batteries, electric cars started to flourish. However, these were mainly in Europe only. It was not until 1890 that America paid any attention to the growing technology. The two different electric autos built by A. L. Ryker and William Morrison in 1891 brought the electric car to the spotlight in America.

The first commercial application of an electric car came in 1897 when the Electric Carriage & Wagon Company of Philadelphia built a fleet of New York taxis. In 1899, an electric car actually broke the land speed record. At the turn of the twentieth century, They were produced by Anthony Electric, Baker Electric, Detroit Electric, and others and at one point in history out-sold gasoline-powered vehicles. Electrified trains were used for coal transport as the motors did not use precious oxygen in the mines. Switzerland's lack of natural fossil resources forced the rapid electrification of their rail network. In 1916, a man by the name of Woods invented the first hybrid car, combining an electric motor and an internal combustion engine.

The early twentieth century was the height for the American electric car. Many factors contributed to the downfall of the electric car, but the final blow seems to be the production of the gasoline car by Henry Ford. His mass-produced cars cost half as much as the average electric car. The electric car was dead until the 1960’s.

The oil crisis renewed interest in alternative fuels. Many companies decided to renew the electric car for uses like mail trucks and other service vehicles. Governments around the world pushed for fuel reform to protect the environment. Many laws influenced large automakers to start producing electric car prototypes, but costs prohibited them from going to the market until recently. Many models like the Toyota Prius have become extremely popular. Hopefully, as costs decrease and new developments arise, the electric car will be a popular part of an environmentally aware public.

• http://www.newton.mec.edu/brown/te/ALTERNATIVE_FUEL/TIMELINE/timeline.html
• http://www.econogics.com/ev/evhistry.htm (Extensive)
• Hybrid-Vehicle.org: Early Electric Cars
• Analysis by Richard H. Schallenberg for the IEEE Transactions on Education
• 1997 Disseration by David A. Kirsch, Stanford University
• 1955 business analysis of early electric vehicles by John B. Rae, Associate Professor of History, MIT
• History and Directory of Electric Cars from 1834 - 1987
• Short Electric, and other Vehicle History
• Mikes Railway History, 1935 Electric Traction
• http://www.hybridcars.com/history.html some Electric information as well.