Comments on: History of the Electric Car

By: Used motorcycles

Used motorcycles — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 06:28:11 +0000

Today we are in situation of energy crisis. Day by day the fuel prices are rising and we don't have a effective solution to overcome on that. If we had build more emphasis on manufacturing electric cars we do not have to see this situation. As the law of nature that "Need is the mother of all invention" we will overcome from this energy crisis because we need electric cars now.

By: Fire Emergency Light

Fire Emergency Light — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 02:55:29 +0000

I like your post very much as i am big fan of electric cars. I think that these are the only solutions to the fuel guzzling motors of today. Thanks for sharing that history with us…

By: Tires

Tires — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:56:36 +0000

Makes me realise the elctric car has been around alot longer then most people think.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:38:55 +0000

The chart does not give information on the mileage of the first electrics (1832-1930). However, it is interesting to note that the range of these early EV's was similar to the range of the latest models, around 100 miles http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/05/the-status-quo-of-electric-cars-better-batteries-same-range.html“>:http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/05/the-status-quo-of-electric-cars-better-batteries-same-range.html

By: Chris Burdick

Chris Burdick — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:24:27 +0000

Yup, that's a whole 'nother ball game.

By: Zathras IX

Zathras IX — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:12:04 +0000

Why only battery- and hybrid battery/ICE EVs? What about EVs powered by hydrogen/natural gas fuel cells? They operate more like conventional ICE vehicles and don't require any recharging, only refueling.

By: Doug Korthof

Doug Korthof — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:14:53 +0000

CORRECTION: 650 “1997″ EV1 using defective GM-Delco Lead batteries, which were designed to fail and sabotage the Nov. 1996 “launch” of the doomed EV1 (GM always testified that it was just trying to prove EVs impossible and too expensive).
There were 465 “1999″ EV1 using defective GM-Ovonics NiMH (Nickel) batteries, which took it up to 160 miles on a charge. That’s why the “volt-hoax” seems such a step backward, and just another GM effort to sabotage EVs.

In Spring, 1997, Honda came out with the NiMH HondaEV, which had over 120 miles range and reliable batteries; it was this launch, powered by a Toyota-Panasonic research effort (NiMH batteries and PM motor-controller) which forced GM to admit it had issued the “1997″ EV1 with defective batteries; GM then began upgrading the defective GM-Delco Lead batteries with reliabel PSB EV-EC 1260 lead batteries, which gave the Lead EV1 a range up to 110 miles.

So we don’t need Lithium; we just need honesty on the part of the car companies. So far, the OIL-auto complex are all crooks and liars about Electric cars and batteries.

By: Doug Korthof

Doug Korthof — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:21:27 +0000

The HondaEV+ is on the chart, along with the Nissan Altra.

The HondaEV+ was developed originally with Lead batteries, like all successful EVs, and then upgraded when Toyota-Panasonic developed superior Nickel (NiMH) batteries; the HondaEV reliably yielded 120 miles range.

However, Honda's charging algorithm was inferior, and degraded the batteries faster than they should have been worn out; moreover, Honda was using the early second-generation NiMH from PEVE, which didn't last as long as the last few made, the "gen-3 plus", which were stopped and shut down by Chevron-GM, which sued Toyota (winning $30 million) for improving the NiMH batteries (!!!).

Thus, GM and Chevron combined to kill the only successful battery for EVs that lasts longer than the life of the car, Nickel (NiMH); to this day, Chevron retains a stranglehold on any use of NiMH for plug-in cars, they will only permit it for hybrids with batteries too small to plug in. That's why all auto makers are forced to use more expensive Lithium, which doesn't last as long as Nickel batteries.

By: nowonder

nowonder — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:41:51 +0000

The chart does not give information on the mileage of the first electrics (1832-1930). However, it is interesting to note that the range of these early EV’s was similar to the range of the latest models, around 100 miles:

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/05/the-status-quo-of-electric-cars-better-batteries-same-range.html

By: mikedudical

mikedudical — Thu, 27 May 2010 09:12:40 +0000

All this hype about electric cars is great but until the Saudi's stop pouring oil into Washington DC is's literally a pipe dream. DC just pumped billions into cash-4-clunkers amidst the largest inventory of used and repossessed vehicles in history (i.e. http://repofinder.com). Don't get me wrong, I like the the electric idea but it's all politics.

By: Chris Burdick

Chris Burdick — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:37:09 +0000

Yup, there's tons of 'em. That's precisely why not ALL of them were included.

By: Chris Burdick

Chris Burdick — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:36:26 +0000

Should it have been mentioned? Yeah, probably, but omitting an example doesn't mean it's inaccurate, just not completely exhaustive. There's only so much space we had to work with. In case you didn't notice, there's a helluva lot of information on that graphic.

By: visitor

visitor — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:31:16 +0000

What about Honda RAV4-EV from 1997? Mercedes Electrique frm 1905? Hideous G-Wiz? There are even more historic EV's.

By: Rammstein

Rammstein — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:20:41 +0000

From a historical point of view the map and time line are completely useless and even emberrassing !

The "La Jamais Contente" (Never satisfied) is not even mentioned.

While this electrically powered vehicle, sprawn from the mind of the Belgian Camille Jenatzy, was the first car to break the magic 100 kilometer speed record with a speed of 105 km/h

Back in 1899 !!!

So before making a map giving a timeline of important events, do your homework.

By: alt.energy Review

alt.energy Review — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:39:34 +0000

Nice infographic. Really shows the evolution. Makes it seem hopeful that we evolve into some great cars.