Electric Origins - In today’s fast-paced world, electric vehicles seem like a futuristic leap—quiet, sleek machines that glide through traffic without leaving a trace of pollution. But what may surprise many is that the electric car isn’t a 21st-century invention at all. Its roots go way back, deep into the early 1800s, long before smartphones or even light bulbs became common. The real story of electric vehicles begins in an era of gas lamps and steam engines, with a handful of pioneering minds who dared to imagine a different future.
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| 1896 Riker Electric Tricycle. (Picture from: BlogCarlist) |
As early as the 1830s, inventors such as Robert Anderson from Scotland and American Thomas Davenport began experimenting with electrically powered vehicles. Though their creations were primitive and short-ranged, they sparked a wave of innovation. Around the same time, Dutch inventor Sidbrandus Stratingh, Hungarian engineer Anyos Jedlik, and American Christopher Becker were also developing early concepts of electric transport. Each played a role in shaping what would become a growing obsession among inventors across the globe.
By the 1840s, things began to accelerate. Robert Davidson of Scotland and Thomas Davenport in the United States built some of the first practical electric vehicles using non-rechargeable electric cell batteries. These were still limited by the short life of their power source, but they marked an important shift: from theory to tangible, moving machines. Then came a game-changing moment in 1859, when Gaston Planté, a French physicist, invented the first rechargeable lead-acid battery. His discovery laid the foundation for the electric vehicle’s evolution, finally offering a power source that could be reused rather than replaced.
The next big leap came in 1865 with the refinement of rechargeable batteries, and in 1881, Camille Faure—also from France—took the technology further by improving battery capacity and durability. Working alongside engineers Charles Jeantaud and Nicholas Raffard, they created an electric vehicle powered by these upgraded batteries. This wasn't just experimental anymore—electric cars were starting to look like a serious alternative to traditional vehicles.
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| The first electric car to exceed the speed of 100 kph was referred to as "Jamais Contente" and was built in Belgium in 1899. It was equipped with Michelin tires and adopted as a torpedo. (Picture from: NewTechnology22) |
By 1882, the electric movement gained serious momentum in England with the formation of Elwell-Parker Ltd., founded by engineer Thomas Parker and financier Paul Bedford Elwell in Wolverhampton. The company focused on building high-capacity rechargeable batteries, based on Parker’s designs. Having previously worked together on early accumulators, Parker and Elwell expanded their scope to include motors, controllers, and dynamos. Their collaboration helped drive the electric vehicle concept closer to reality.
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| One of Thomas Parker's early electric cars. Thomas is in the middle and on the back seat is possibly his son Alfred. (Picture from: ElectricVehiclesNews) |
Their efforts were soon amplified when Elwell-Parker Ltd. merged with several other firms to form the Electric Construction Corporation in 1889. This new enterprise produced a vast range of electrical equipment, from arc lamps and switchboards to powerful motors used in electric cranes and pumps. They weren’t just dreaming of an electric future—they were building it, one component at a time.
Electric vehicles reached a peak of popularity during the late 1800s. Even Thomas Edison joined the movement, creating a successful electric car in 1889 using nickel-alkaline batteries. That same year, Thomas Parker’s battery-powered trams were already operating in Birmingham, England, while his earlier trams had been running in Blackpool since 1884. Parker also claimed to have driven an electric vehicle as early as 1884, and by 1896, he introduced the "electric dog-cart," featuring advanced features like four-wheel steering and hydraulic brakes on all wheels—technologies still praised in today’s vehicles.
As the idea of electric vehicles gained traction, their role in society began to evolve. In 1897, electric taxis hit the streets of New York, marking one of the earliest uses of electric transport in public service. Just a few years later, in 1901, the French postal service began using electric delivery vehicles produced by Levallois-Perret. These trucks could carry up to 1.5 tons, travel as far as 50 kilometers, and reach speeds of 15 kilometers per hour—solid performance for the time.
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| 1897 Bersey electric cab, the London’s first self-propelled taxi. (Picture from: Blog.ScienceMuseum) |
The electric vehicle’s growing influence was perhaps best symbolized by a groundbreaking achievement in 1899. That year, a Belgian-built electric car called La Jamais Contente—which means “The Never Satisfied”—became the first vehicle in the world to break the 100 km/h speed barrier. Designed by Camille Jenatzy, this bullet-shaped car stunned the world and proved that electric power could deliver not just clean transportation, but high performance too. It didn’t just set a record—it set a new standard for what electric cars could aspire to.
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| Thomas Edison's electric car in 1913. (Picture from: Carmudicoid) |
But the electric car's promising rise faced a major obstacle: the rapid advancement of gasoline-powered engines. Everything changed in 1908 with the arrival of the Ford Model T. Cheap to produce, affordable to fuel, and easy to maintain, it reshaped the entire automotive industry. Compared to gas-powered cars, electric vehicles were more expensive and offered less range, causing their popularity to quickly fade.
Now, more than a century later, the world has come full circle. With rising fuel costs, growing environmental awareness, and rapid advances in battery technology, electric vehicles are not just making a comeback—they're becoming a symbol of tomorrow. What began in workshops powered by candles and curiosity has grown into an industry driving the global shift toward cleaner, smarter mobility. *** [EKA [18072013] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SEPTI | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 18072013 | BLOGSCIENCEMUSEUM | ENVIRONMENT911 | ELECTRICVEHICLESNEWS | NEWTECHNOLOGY22 | ] Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
