Electric vehicles came into existence sometime between 1832 and 1839. The exact year is not known. The first crude electric carriage was invented by Robert Anderson from Scotland. A small-scale electric car was built by Christopher Becker in 1835 who was an assistant to Professor Stratingh of Groningen, Holland. The American duo Thomas Davenport and Scotsmen Robert Davidson in 1842 invented a more successful and practical electric vehicles. The uniqueness of their invention is that they were the first to use the non-rechargeable electric cells. The rudimentary storage battery was invented by Gaston Plante, French in 1865 and it was improved in 1881 by his fellow countrymen Camille Faure. This was a huge step forward for the electric vehicles to flourish.

The electric vehicles took in a big way only in late 1800s. The backbone for this massive development was due to support provided by the countries like Great Britain and France. La Jamais Contente was the first electric racing car which was invented by Camille Jenatzy. It had set a world record for travelling 68mph speed. The year 1895 was the year of revolution for electric cars in America. They suddenly took attention and started devoting considerable and effort and time to improve the existing technology. All the attention arose on electric vehicles due to inventions in 1891 by A. L. Rvker and William Morrison who built an electric tricycle and a wagon which could carry six-passengers.

In the late 1890s and early 1900s there was a sudden burst of innovations and inventions in the motor vehicles industry sector. It was during the year 1897 that the commercial application was first established as city taxis in New York. The first fleet of taxis was built by Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia. The 1902 Wood’s Phaeton, one of the earliest electric vehicles was nothing more than surreys and horseless carriages which are electrified. It cost a whopping $2000 although it travelled with a speed of 14mph and had a range of 18 miles. The hybrid car by Woods was an improvement to the existing models in terms of engine. It had an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. This addition was made in 1916.

America took to manufacturing of cars in a big way with its prosperity growing manifold. Different kinds of cars like electric, steam and gasoline versions were catching up fast. They had become very popular. The years 1899 and 1900 were the landmark years for the electric cars industry in America. They left behind all other types of cars in terms of sales. The reason behind their prominence is that they enjoy better advantages than their competitors. Everyone could enjoy a pleasant ride due to no smell, no vibration and no noise which was so with gasoline cars. The major attraction for electric car was that there was no need to change gears unlike gasoline cars. The electric cars due to their limited range and very few paved roads in America were preferred for local commuting. Electric cars were the chosen mode of transport as they did not require a hand crank to start like the gasoline cars and no gear system.

The basic models in electric cars cost less than $1000.  The ones aimed at upper class had elaborate decorations which were ornate and massive carriages. They used expensive materials to decorate the interiors. These were priced at an average $3,000. The year 1912 saw a peak in electric car production. All that goes up has to come down. Several factors contributed to the decline of the electric cars. The first and foremost reason is the improvement of roads in America. They had stretched the roads to connecting various cities which required longer range cars to commute. The price of fuels like gasoline dropped drastically with the discovery Texas crude oil. Due to the reduced prices an average consumer also was able to afford it. By 1935 electric vehicles almost disappeared from the scene considering them dead by 1960s as personal transportation. In 1960s and 1970s the need to look for alternative fuels started and also to avoid crude oil dependency. Due to which a great deal infrastructure was used to produce practical electric vehicles. This appears to be an ongoing effort as it is continuing till date.

Across the globe and especially in America several legislative and regulatory actions had been successful in reviving the electric vehicle production. The important among these being the U.S. 1992 energy Policy Act and regulations which are issued by California Air Resources Board (CARB)  and U.S. 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment. Due to the stringent laws implemented for gasoline use most of the states in US have issued Zero Emission Vehicle requirements.
In partnership with New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) the U.S. Department of Energy and the “Big Three” automobile manufacturers are active in promoting electric vehicle development. High end electric vehicles which have maximum range of 50 to 150 miles with very good speed between recharging have been introduced. Electric conversions from gasoline powered vehicles were also introduced. Few examples for this kind of conversions or high end electric cars are Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck.

The electric vehicles are being manufactured by “Big Three” manufactures as well. Ford Ranger Pickup was converted into an electric car by Ford. But the earliest was Ford Ecostar utility van which had extra ordinary features. It came with sodium sulfur batteries a speed of 70 miles. Though they were produced in large numbers it wasn’t accepted and was considered R&D vehicle. It was never offered for commercial purpose. GE developed a sports car which is a 2 passenger car called as EV1. The 1998 the other companies which were included are Honda EV Plus Sedan, Toyota RAV4 sports utility car, Chrysler EPIC minivan and so on.

In late 1900s the electric cars had become too expensive to afford. They were priced anything between $30,000 to $40,000. With improved technology in producing at large scales can have great impact and considerably reduce the prices making them affordable.