Shocking Innovations: The 1835 Breakthrough That Sparked the Electric Battery Vehicle Change

The electric battery vehicle story starts with ideas, hard work, and small steps. Its modern rise often seems new, but early steps go back to the early 1800s. In 1835, a first clear mention of electric battery vehicles appears. That mark set up a path for the many changes that came later.

The Early Sparks: Electric Vehicles Before 1835

New thoughts on electric motion grew alongside work in electricity and motor science. In 1828, Hungarian scientist Ányos Jedlik built a small car with an electric motor. His work pointed to power by electricity, yet it could not work well with the batteries of that time.

Scottish inventor Robert Anderson was busy between 1832 and 1839. He made a very basic electric carriage. These vehicles ran on batteries that could not be recharged, so they did not last. In 1835, Dutch Professor Sibrandus Stratingh and his helper Christopher Becker built one of the first small electric cars that used such batteries. This step is marked as the first clear move towards electric battery cars.

At the same time in 1834, Thomas Davenport, an American blacksmith, built a small electric vehicle that made a loop on a short track. In 1837, Scottish chemist Robert Davidson built the first electric train engine. His work began the use of electric force in trains.

The Role of Batteries: The Lead-Acid Battery and Its Impact

Early electric vehicles had a big problem: they needed a better way to store energy. Before a battery could be recharged, cars had only a little power to use. In 1859, French scientist Gaston Planté made the lead-acid battery. This battery could be used over and over. In 1881, Camille Alphonse Faure worked on the battery to give it more strength and to make mass production possible. With this battery, electric cars could work longer and carry people better.

The 1880s-1890s: From Prototypes to Practical Electric Cars

In 1881, the French inventor Gustave Trouvé tried a tricycle with a stronger electric motor and a lead-acid battery. His vehicle could carry a person and also power a small boat motor. In 1884, Thomas Parker from England built a full electric car in Wolverhampton. His work on electric trams and battery cars built the steps for a young industry in the UK and France.

In the United States, around 1890, William Morrison from Des Moines made a six-passenger electric wagon that reached 14 miles per hour. His design proved that electric power could be used for moving people and pushed more work in this field.

The Golden Age of Electric Vehicles: 1890s to Early 1900s

At the start of the 20th century, electric cars were common. Around 1900, about one out of three vehicles in the United States was electric. They were liked for their quiet work, ease of use, and no smoke compared to steam and gas cars.

During this time, Ferdinand Porsche made an electric car in 1898 with motors in the wheels, and in 1899, Camille Jenatzy’s car, "Jamais Contente," broke 100 km/h. Electric taxis filled streets in cities like New York. These events confirmed that battery-powered cars could work in everyday life.

The Decline and Return: 1910s through the 20th Century

Electric vehicles met hard challenges later. In 1908, Henry Ford’s Model T made gas cars cheap and easy for many people. In 1912, the addition of the electric starter made gas cars even simpler. Farms and towns grew, gas prices fell after Texas oil was found, and many places did not have steady electricity. All these factors made electric cars less common. By 1935, they nearly vanished from the roads.

Interest in electric cars returned during the oil problems of the 1970s. Governments started to support new tests and small runs. At the start of the 21st century, new battery ideas and care for the environment brought electric cars back as a good choice that can protect the air we breathe.

Legacy of the 1835 Milestone

The 1835 electric battery car by Stratingh and Becker stands as an early step in car history. Their work began the long search for better batteries, motors, and designs. Today’s electric cars show a history of small steps that grew into a major part of transport on our roads, leading us toward faster and cleaner travel.

References

• U.S. Department of Energy, "The History of the Electric Car," September 2014.
• Wikipedia contributors, "History of the electric vehicle," Wikipedia, latest update 2024.
• Cyberswitching, "The History of Electric Cars," October 2023. —

This article traced the early mention of electric battery cars from 1835 and followed the path of electric car history. The work of early inventors still shapes the way we move today.

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