Ironically, EVs were a popular and the least expensive type of vehicle at the dawn of the automotive age. In the earliest part of the 20th Century, there were a mixture of internal combustion powered vehicles, steam-powered cars and battery-electric vehicles. Motorized vehicles powered by internal combustion or steam engines could only be afforded by the very rich.
By 1900, 38% of all automobiles in the U.S. were powered by electricity, 40% by steam, and just 22% by gasoline. Steam engines fell out of favor because they constantly needed to be filled with water, had limited range, and required a long startup time (up to 45 minutes!). Electric vehicles on the other hand were easy to drive and were excellent for short round trips in cities.
Several main contributing factors led to the downfall of the first wave of electric vehicles.
Expanded roads, fueling stations, and infrastructure in the U.S.
Lack of electricity in rural areas
The cheap price of gasoline
Affordability of gas-powered models over electric vehicles (less than half the price).
This paper will examine both the first emergence of EVs at the beginning of the 20th century, and the latest at the beginning of the present century.
