History of Electric Cars
Though discussion of electric cars has elevated in recent years because of oil prices and environmental concerns, the idea of an electric car has been around for over a century. The history of the electric car is full of false starts, promising ideas and even corporate treachery.
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Identification
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An "electric car" is any car powered completely by an electric charge, either stored in an internal cell or battery, or delivered from an external source.
Origins
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The first known electric cars were built in the early 1800s, and by 1842, both Scottish scientist Robert Anderson and American scientist Thomas Davenport had built functioning road models using one-charge batteries.
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Battery Development
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French scientists crafted reliable, long-lasting batteries in the late 1800s, so that by 1890, practical electric cars could be built.
Golden Years
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Electric cars were extremely popular by the turn of the century. Both American and European manufacturers turned out quality electric cars, and electric vehicles outsold all other engine types.
Decline
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Gasoline cars began to trump electric cars in the early 1900s because new developments in the internal combustion engine allowed gasoline cars to start more easily and drive further than electric cars. Factory mass production also made gasoline cars cheaper. By the 1930s, electric cars had all but disappeared.
Resurgance
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Interest in electric cars came back in the 1990s, when science began to recognize the environmental damage caused by gasoline-powered car exhaust.
Today
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Improved battery technology, such as the hydrogen cell, is driving a new wave of electric concept cars, and several companies are now producing electric vehicles for sale.
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