The First Electric-Car Era
In short: Around 1900 electric cars were a major part of American motoring, and one major study argues that they faded less because they were worse than because the electricity grid spread too slowly.
A 2:12 short film in the series “Lost Futures”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: Battery Vehicle Society (UK enthusiast society; a secondary source with an advocacy perspective, so corroborate key claims), “Historic EVs - Battery Vehicle Society”; National Geographic, “The forgotten history of New York’s first electric taxi fleet—in the 1800s”; Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Automobile - Electric, Battery, Motors | Britannica”; Nature Energy (Springer Nature), “Infrastructure killed the electric car - Nature Energy”; ScienceDaily (reporting research from Lund University, published in Nature Energy), “Lack of power grids sealed fate for early electric cars”; The Economic Times (Times Internet / Bennett, Coleman & Co.), “In 1912, Cadillac fitted 12,000 cars with Charles Kettering”; The Studebaker National Museum (essay by Dar Davis, an automobile columnist, in a series linked to an exhibition run with the Society of Automotive Historians), “The 1912 Cadillac: A Self-Starter - The Studebaker National Museum”; EBSCO (EBSCOhost Research Starters), “Electric Automobile Self-Starter Is Patented | History | Research Starters | EBSCOhost”; Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Econ Focus), “Electrifying Rural America”; Library of Congress (Research Guides: This Month in Business History), “Research Guides: This Month in Business History: Ford Implements the Moving Assembly Line”; The Henry Ford, “detail”; Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), “The Discovery of Spindletop: Birth of the Modern Petroleum Industry”.
Sources used in this film
- Battery Vehicle Society (UK enthusiast society; a secondary source with an advocacy perspective, so corroborate key claims) — Historic EVs - Battery Vehicle Society · View →
- National Geographic — The forgotten history of New York’s first electric taxi fleet—in the 1800s · View →
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Automobile - Electric, Battery, Motors | Britannica · View →
- Nature Energy (Springer Nature) — Infrastructure killed the electric car - Nature Energy · View →
- ScienceDaily (reporting research from Lund University, published in Nature Energy) — Lack of power grids sealed fate for early electric cars · View →
- The Economic Times (Times Internet / Bennett, Coleman & Co.) — In 1912, Cadillac fitted 12,000 cars with Charles Kettering · View →
- The Studebaker National Museum (essay by Dar Davis, an automobile columnist, in a series linked to an exhibition run with the Society of Automotive Historians) — The 1912 Cadillac: A Self-Starter - The Studebaker National Museum · View →
- EBSCO (EBSCOhost Research Starters) — Electric Automobile Self-Starter Is Patented | History | Research Starters | EBSCOhost · View →
- Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Econ Focus) — Electrifying Rural America · View →
- Library of Congress (Research Guides: This Month in Business History) — Research Guides: This Month in Business History: Ford Implements the Moving Assembly Line · View →
- The Henry Ford — detail · View →
- Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) — The Discovery of Spindletop: Birth of the Modern Petroleum Industry · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Battery Vehicle Society (UK enthusiast society; a secondary source with an advocacy perspective, so corroborate key clai: Historic EVs - Battery Vehicle Society
- Also: National Geographic: The forgotten history of New York’s first electric taxi fleet—in the 1800s
- Also: Encyclopaedia Britannica: Automobile - Electric, Battery, Motors | Britannica
- Also: Nature Energy (Springer Nature): Infrastructure killed the electric car - Nature Energy
- Also: ScienceDaily (reporting research from Lund University, published in Nature Energy): Lack of power grids sealed fate for early electric cars
- Also: The Economic Times (Times Internet / Bennett, Coleman & Co.): In 1912, Cadillac fitted 12,000 cars with Charles Kettering
- Also: The Studebaker National Museum (essay by Dar Davis, an automobile columnist, in a series linked to an exhibition run wit: The 1912 Cadillac: A Self-Starter - The Studebaker National Museum
- Also: EBSCO (EBSCOhost Research Starters): Electric Automobile Self-Starter Is Patented | History | Research Starters | EBSCOhost
- Also: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Econ Focus): Electrifying Rural America
- Also: Library of Congress (Research Guides: This Month in Business History): Research Guides: This Month in Business History: Ford Implements the Moving Assembly Line
- Also: The Henry Ford: detail
- Also: Texas State Historical Association (TSHA): The Discovery of Spindletop: Birth of the Modern Petroleum Industry
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