History of Electric Vehicles. P2- The downfall and rebirth

Reason for the downfall

1. Model T- When Henry Ford introduced the mass-production and gas-powered model T in 1908, it symbolized a death blow to the electric car. With the creation of ford’s cost-efficient assembly and wider availability of gasoline.

2. Price- By 1912, a Gasoline car cost only 650$ while the average electric roadster sold for 1750$.

3. Electric automobile starter- The invention of electric automobile starter by Charles Kettering in 1912 effectively eliminated the hand crank and made the gas-powered vehicle even more appealing to the same drivers who had preferred electric cars

4. The discovery of Texas crude oil also reduced the price of gasoline, making both car ownership and car maintenance more affordable to the average consumer.

The Rebirth

By 1935 to early 70’s electric vehicles had disappeared from the road. Because of cheap, abundant gasoline and continued improvement in the IC engines created little need for alternative fuel vehicle. It wasn’t until the early 70’s when the gasoline car hit its first real roadblock. Oil shortage and dependencies on a few countries for it and of course, the oil rising prices.

Automakers, feeling this social shift, started to explore options for alternative fuel vehicles, including electric cars. For instance,

1. General Motors developed a prototype for an urban EV in 1973 and displayed at the first symposium on low pollution power system.

2. The American Motor Company produced electric delivery jeeps that the United States Postal Service used in a 1975 test program

3. NASA helped raise the profile when their electric Lunar rover became the first manned vehicle on the moon.

Interest in Electric cars fades-

The electric vehicles developed and produced in the 1970s still suffered from drawbacks compared to gasoline-powered cars. Electric vehicles during this time had limited performance usually topping at speeds of 45 miles per hour and their typical range was limited to 40 miles before needing to be recharged. automotive companies modified popular models to create electric variations, hoping they could improve the batteries and achieve a range and speed closer to that of gasoline-powered vehicles.

One of the most significant turning points was the introduction of the Toyota Prius. Released in Japan in 1997, the Prius became the world’s first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. In 2000, the Prius was released worldwide, and it became an instant success with celebrities, helping to raise the profile of the car. To make the Prius a reality, Toyota used a nickel-metal hydride battery. Since then, rising gasoline prices and growing concern about carbon pollution have helped make the Prius the best-selling hybrid worldwide during that decade.