The history of electric vehicles (EVs) is an exciting story of how an underdog blazed its own trail to become a viable mode of transportation. Its story is entirely linked to infrastructure changes in matters of energy and road planning, leading to a considerable boost in EV development. These days, EVs have become essential as we discover the many ways going electric can help us reach a more sustainable world. It's fascinating that this alternative to steam-powered vehicles, introduced over a hundred years ago, has reached the heights we see today. This article will explore the history of EVs, shedding light on the benefits they have brought to our environment and vehicle optimization.
From the top.
As early as the 1830s, inventors all over the world became intrigued with the idea of horseless carriages. One of the most influential inventions, reportedly, came from Scottish inventor Robert Anderson, who ideated a carriage powered by a self-recharging battery. Eventually, all of these ideas became an essential part of modern-day automobiles. Like with many inventions, there were many parallels all over the world. By 1890, in the US, Iowa's William Morrison put together a six-passenger carriage that could move at 22.5 km/h (pretty fast for the era). Back then, the roads were a mixture of steam-powered engines and battery-powered personal vehicles.
In a parallel timeline, innovators like Ferdinand Porsche and Henry Ford were making waves in the search for a better, more commercially attractive personal vehicle. These two, along with others like Thomas Edison, also toyed with the idea of fully electric and hybrid vehicles, like Porsche's P1. But what really changed the landscape of motorized vehicles was Ford's T1, as it was easier to maneuver than the first gas-powered cars, it was cheaper to purchase, and it was massively produced. Charles Kettering's electric starter revolutionized automobiles by allowing engines to power on and turn off safely while protecting the circuit from overcurrent; however, as automobiles became much more efficient, this pushed electric vehicles into their first dark days.
Darker days.
With the advancement of gasoline engine developments, electric vehicles took a back seat to investment and further growth. While oil and mass production were seen as transformative to the world, electric vehicle research became little more than an alternative. Fortunately, EVs found a niche in space exploration, as NASA paved the way for the Lunar Rover, the first manned electric vehicle dedicated to space exploration. This massive undertaking paved the way for new forms of technology and proved the might of alternative engines.
In addition to the great step for humanity that EVs took in space, their position as an alternative continued to flourish thanks to a few key events. The oil shortages of the 1960s and 1970s encouraged scientists and engineers all over the world to continue exploring electric cars. There were limitations—the fastest EVs topped at 64 km/h—but the industry was growing anyway.
The 1990s stifle.
By the 70s, most of the international market had roughly given up on EVs. Still, near the turn of the millennium, as environmental concerns began to rise with legislation like the US's Clean Air Act Amendment of 1977—or its Canadian counterpart in 1971—and the 1992 Energy Policy Act, interest in more efficient battery-powered engines was reinvigorated. Automakers, never missing an opportunity, started modifying their existing vehicles into the electric paradigm, improving their performance to compete with gasoline-powered vehicles—up to a 96-kilometre range for modded cars.
One of the more interesting vehicles made during this time was GM's EV1, which was built from the ground up, as opposed to modifying an existing vehicle. It was able to run up to 128 kilometres and boasted an acceleration of 0–80 km/h in about seven seconds. Unfortunately, production costs were high and interest was low. The EV1 was never commercially available and was ultimately discontinued by 2001. There was no shortage of gasoline, and it was still very accessible to the masses, so there was no need to change—or not yet, at least.
Two tides in the two-thousands.
The exact development that led to the new boom in EVs is still a matter of dispute, but it was certainly aided by the rising prices of gasoline and the discoveries and global support of energy alternatives in the face of climate change. On the one hand, Toyota's Prius, released in Japan in 1997 and globally in 2000, became the first mass-produced hybrid car. On the other, Tesla Motors launched their own fully electric vehicle in 2006. According to the US's Energy.gov, the true pioneer was Honda's Insight, released in 1999.
Whichever side you stand on, the fact remains that these advancements in EV technology inspired automakers to rediscover EV design, leading to cars like Chevy's Volt and Nissan's LEAF. The technology has improved significantly, and in 2014, we saw the opening of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. This open-wheel single-seater motorsport championship features EVs exclusively, showing their modern capacity for speed and autonomy and the developments that continue to transform EVs all over.
The only thing missing was infrastructure. Quickly, governments around the world started investing in solutions, paving the way for private initiatives to open public charging stations on the road and in commercial locations. Today, efforts worldwide have tried to make the roads more EV-friendly, resulting in more widespread electric charging stations and the development of more sophisticated home EV charging. Public offices have also increased allowances for citizens in their respective countries to make home charging a more viable solution, allowing people to legally take charging into their own hands.
Due to the dips and rushes of EV research, we're constantly learning more about how to optimize all sorts of electric engines, making them an increasingly viable option. We have even seen a growth in sports utility vehicles and light commercial vehicles, buses, and heavy-duty trucks powered entirely by electric systems. Market interest keeps growing, as has consumer and government spending. As supply and competition continue to grow, we are likely to see more affordable options that help more people transition from gas-dependent vehicles to electric.
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