It wasn’t so long ago that we, as a society, were complete novices on the subject of automobiles and electricity. It was inevitable that humans’ long-standing fascination with the almost magical power of electricity would eventually blend with our need to move ever faster, ever further, and with cheaper, less resource-hungry means than the long-favored fossil fuel options.
What is the history of automobiles as we know them? Long-standing history saw the rise of the horse and cart. Interestingly enough, this design changed remarkably little over the following millennia. Archaeologists have discovered the remains and designs of early two-wheeled animal-drawn carts in the Indus Valley, which date back to as early as 3000 B.C.! It was another thousand years, however, until the idea of mounting a human driver on the cart became common practice. No doubt, it must have been the thrill of being able to travel comfortably over large distances and at a greater speed that inspired this trend to gain traction and become mainstream in the community of early man.
Looking Back
You have to hand it to us. As humans, once we find a popular concept, we are never happy until we’ve enlarged, improved, and enhanced the idea until it barely resembles the original prototype. Fast forward almost 4000 years to 1885 and cue the entrance of Carl Benz’s first “vehicle powered by a gas engine”. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Benz Patent Motor Car revolutionized the automobile industry and the history of the human race.
At a very similar time in a very similar part of the world Luigi Galvani, an innovative scientist in the field of electric advancements, demonstrated the mystically diverse power of electricity. His most famous experiment displayed the legs of deceased frogs, which twitched as if alive with the application of electricity. Many have claimed this to be the inspiration for Mary Shelley’s concept of Frankenstein – an inhuman, inanimate creation that has life surged through it with force looking something suspiciously like electricity.
What does all this have to do with us today? Here’s the bridge between the development of automobiles and the weirdly fascinating look at early research into electricity: We are living at a time where no one path of progressive technology stands alone. There is no such thing as a scientific island concept. Humans are constantly evolving fresh ways of looking at the world around us; our multi-cultural, modern drive to keep progressing means that we are always blending the principles of good ideas. The modern motor car was a GREAT idea! Electrical power to animate machinery was a BRILLIANT idea. Of course, the mélange of these two concepts would eventually lead to groundbreaking advances in both fields and to our modern society.
What Went Wrong?
What many folks aren’t aware of is the surprising history of electrically powered automobiles. It wasn’t long after some of the very first automobiles became mainstream that intrepid-minded inventors began experimenting with different methods of powering these vehicles. In the early 1800s, steam was king, however, this system of power didn’t translate well to the smaller frame instance of a personal vehicle. It was a few short decades later that we turned, inevitably, to the clean convenience of electricity as a potential power source for our motor cars. Sources hold that these early prototypes were extremely popular with urban consumers. They were quiet, free from strong gasoline odors, and ideal for short distances across town.
Just a few of the early innovators to research electrically powered automobiles included:
- Ferdinand Porsche
- William Morrison
- Robert Anderson
- Henry Ford
With this promising start, why did this initial inclination to electric-powered automobiles come to an abrupt halt? The sad truth is that it all came down to money. At the same time as developers were experimenting with both electricity and gasoline, Henry Ford created the Model T gasoline-powered motor car. This was able to be mass-produced and sold at the incredibly low cost of $650 while its electric counterpart was still being marketed at over $1,600.
Back to Basics
Fast forward one hundred years, and we can say we’ve definitely learned the error of our forefathers’ ways. We have come full circle and returned to the way of the electric vehicle to pave our future. This does not refer to the ubiquitous mobility scooter, often favored by aggressive seniors. No, electric vehicles can not only give petrol or diesel-powered engines a run for their money but are also pinnacles of beautiful design. We’ve learned a lot over the past century. We’ve developed motor cars that can travel at unimaginable speeds, haul incredible loads over vast areas, and transport people in comfort and safety. We’ve also learned how we don’t want to progress. Many of these discoveries have come at a cost. What’s important now is how to harness what we have learned and implement this knowledge for the sake of our future.