Although electric cars are still struggling to be recognized in the modern world, electric cars were a respected part of the Victorian automotive scene.

The steps that led to electric cars began prior to the nineteenth century. The first battery was made by Volta in 1799, the Voltaic pile, but it was not until 1859 that the first rechargeable battery appeared. Electric motors were first produced in the 1830's. The first electric land vehicles developed where locomotives, running on rails and using non-rechargeable cells. In 1847, Pittsburgh acquired a locomotive powered through an electrified rail from a central station.

Electric cars really took off in the late 1880's. Ratcliffe Ward of London began operating an electric omnibus. Other inventors began producing a variety of electric vehicles. Andrew Riker and Philip Pratt each invented electric tricycles. In 1890, William Morrison of Iowa built the first truly successful electric carriage.

William Morrison's carriage was a standard horseless carriage, built with high, spoked wheels to negotiate the rutted roads of still largely rural America. It featured rack-and-pinion steering and was capable of running for 13 hours at 14 miles per hour after a 10 hour charge.

In 1893 at the Colombia Exposition in Chicago, a variety of electric cars were exhibited. A fleet of electric tricycles had been ordered to provide transportation for visitors, but the manufacturer could only build two, thus electric vehicles remained only a novelty rather than a significant contribution.

IN 1894, Henry Morris and Pedro Salom invented the Electrobat, a heavy car, but with a range of 50 to 100 miles at 15 mph. Their next try was lighter and more stylish capable of speeds up to 20 mph, but with more limited range. However, Morris and Salom felt that the cars were to delicate for the average user, so instead went into business to establish power stations to recharge vehicles. They established their first station in New York City where electric taxi cabs were taking hold. By 1897, an extensive fleet of electric cabs was operating there.

Electric cars held the land speed record from 1898 to 1902, finally beaten by a steamer. Electric vehicle outsold all other types of automobiles in America during that same time period. Electric vehicle production continued well into the 1920's, but well before then, the gasoline-powered automobile was established as the predominate form of transportation.

So what happened?

Electric vehicles had several advantages over their competition. Steam vehicles took a long time to start, since the fire had to be started and steam pressure had to build up, a process that could take up to 45 minutes. This problem was solved in 1885 when James Bullard invented the flash boiler. Steamers had a range of 10 to 15 miles before they needed to take on more water and stop for fuel every 40 to 60 miles.

Gas automobiles had much longer range, fuel-wise, but needed to stop frequently to add water for cooling. The development of the radiator helped, but vehicles at this time were still delicate and often required stops for repairs. Gas cars were noisy and emitted noxious fumes, compared to the clean quiet operation of electrics. Two other factors that made gas cars difficult to operate were crank starting and gear changing. Electric cars required neither. The introduction of the electric starter in 1913 is often credited with the demise of the electric car, but electrics were already on the decline for other reasons.

Gasoline was a waste product of the petroleum industry and therefore was cheap. It was easy for shopkeepers and inns to keep tanks of gas on hand to sell. Electricity was another matter. Although Edison was working to establish power stations in major cities, electricity was not readily available. Electric cars were heavy, requiring numerous batteries. Ideal for city driving and on surfaced roads, electrics were not suited to the country roads that ran through America and England and had difficulty climbing hills. The batteries contained corrosive acids that often leaked, damaging the car and emitting fumes as dangerous as gas engines.

When Henry Ford began mass producing inexpensive gasoline-powered cars, the electrics could no longer compete. A basic electric car could be had for $1000, but most were more expensive, up to three times as much because they were outfitted with the tastes of their upper class buyers in mind. Ford's cars were in the $500 and above range. Gasoline cars generated more and more sales and electrics faded away.

The Electrobat II, built in 1895, is a good archetype for an electric car. This model had rear-wheel steering and was powered by two 1 1/2 horsepower electric motors driving the front axle. It could reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour and had a range of 25 miles. It weighed in at 1650 pounds and had pneumatic tires.

In November 1895, the Chicago Times-Herald sponsored a race featuring six cars, two electric and four gas-powered. The other electric car was one of William Morrisons, specially outfitted with extra batteries, bringing it up to 3535 pounds. Morris and Salom had planned on having spare batteries waiting at intervals along the 54-mile course, but a snowstorm the night before had prevented the wagons carrying the batteries to get through. The little Electrobat was forced to quit after only a short run, but it was award a medal for all the features that made electric cars popular; safety, lack of noise and fumes and design.