History of Vehicle Electrification 15 also making major advances in electrification not only in personal transportation, such as electric bicycles and automobiles, but also in the area of public transportation, such as trains and mass transit. Yet with all the excitement and growth of electric transportation by the early1920s, the electric vehicle was almost nonexistent except for in a few commercial vehicle and delivery trucks, which limped along until the 1930s or 1940s when even these final few applications disappeared altogether (Kirsch, 2000).
As you can undoubtedly see, as the nineteenth century turned into the twentieth century, electric vehicles seemed poised to become the vehicle of choice for both personal and commercial use. During this period, the prominent Electric Vehicle Association of America (EVAA) pulled together most of the major industry players to focus on driving the growth of the industry. Kirsch (2000) described the EVAA as “ a full-fledged trade organization representing electric vehicle manufacturers, battery makers, and electric companies” (p. 8). However, even with the work of large industry activist groups like this, the growth of the electric vehicle market could not be maintained.
Despite having industry-wide support, the electric vehicle was unable to become ingrained in the society and culture of the day. The first documented and reported sale of an electric automobile in the United States was William Morrison’s electric carriage, which was sold to the American Battery Company of Chicago in order to demonstrate their battery technology. In Des Moines, Iowa Morrison developed his six-person, four-horsepower carriage that could achieve a maximum speed of about 14 miles/h (Schiffer, 1994). This, the first produced electric vehicle on the market in the United States, was first demonstrated at the 1892 World’s Fair in Chicago, Illinois.
In 1897, a small fleet of electric taxis were put into service in New York City, the first commer- cial fleet of its kind. This was very typical of the early EV business models during this period. Vehicles, whether they were of internal combustion, electric-, or steam powered, tended to go into service under fleet owners for use in taxis, delivery vehicles, and similar roles. Those vehicles that were sold to private owners tended to use the historical horse-and-carriage business model. During this period, most of the wealthiest people who used horse and car- riages had them housed at a central location where the animals and the carriages were main- tained.
The early EV market initially attempted to replicate this model using company-hired drivers and housing the vehicles at a central station where they could be recharged and serviced as needed (Kirsch, 2000). This was not only due to the historical horse-and-buggy trend, but as electric power had not yet reached every household it allowed the central power stations to also act as the charging locations for these early electric vehicles. During this early period, electric vehicles in the United States were being produced by a multitude of companies including companies like Anthony Electric, Baker Motor Vehicle,