THEN & NOW
LONG
LIVE
THE
ELECTRIC
CAR
Have you ever heard of an electric car with the capacity to travel over
200 miles on a single charge? Is this a modern day miracle? Do you think
electric cars are a new invention? What if we told you this modern day
miracle is almost 100 years old? In fact, in the early 1900’s the electric
car was a common sight on American roads. It is reported that during
this time there were more electric cars on the road than gasoline powered
vehicles. A hundred years ago, in 1914, these early model electric cars
traveled over dirt or maybe cobblestone roads. Surprisingly, they ran at
top speeds of approximately 25 miles per hour. Does this surprise you? You
are not alone. Most people think electric cars are a recent phenomenon.
In 1907 the Anderson Carriage Company, whose initial production in 1884
was carriages, produced their first electric car. By 1911, the company
name was changed to Anderson Electric Car Company, as sales sky rocketted between 1910 and 1920. An average of 1,000 to 2,000 cars were sold
per year leading to a second name change to The Detroit Electric Car Company. The Detroit Electric was rated at eighty miles per charge. One hundred years later we have electric cars trekking over 100 miles on a single
charge. In comparison to the early electric car’s top speed of approximately
25 miles per hour, today’s electric cars reach speeds over 75 miles per hour.
INTERESTING
FACT
14
|
WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
|
JULY 2014
The oldest Electrical car is over
100 years old