[Geoff_S]

https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/overvie ... -cars.html

Wow! Further reading suggests that 1/3rd of the vehicles across Europe were electric at that time.

 

[husoi]

But those don't have seat belts. ? ?

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

EVs held the Land Speed Record from 1898-1902, raising it from 63kmh to 105kmh

 

[Gary Bainbridge]

It's fascinating to see the same things said back then as we hear said now about modern electric cars::

They saw it as a mistake to try and sell the electric as a touring vehicle, because its range would always be inferior to that of a gasoline powered car.
Instead, they focused on the fact that the range of electrics was sufficient for most people.

"Electrical World" wrote in 1909: "The average EV, ... has a considerably greater mileage than is actually needed in the run of business or pleasure, except where a long tour is undertaken."

"I do not believe the average daily mileage of most cars is above, say, 30 miles", said the German-American engineer Charles Proteus Steinmetz to the New York Times in 1915

 

[firetrax]

It's fascinating to see the same things said back then as we hear said now about modern electric cars::

They did have a point then in the age before superchargers!

 

[Geoff_S]

They did have a point then in the age before superchargers!

I wonder what the network was like? ?

 

[dk6780]

The network was better than today, mainly because of the very small numbers of vehicles and the slow charging rates of Edison or Lead Acid batteries.
The killer of the EV was the invention of the electric starter for ICE in 1912 followed by WW1 and the social upheaval it caused which lead to the growth in individual travel for the middle and lower classes which could be met cheaper by ICE.

 

[Energy Tech]

Change takes a long time, it will be another 5-10years of the same talk until the conversation moves on from current "barriers".

 

[donald]

https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/overvie ... -cars.html

Wow! Further reading suggests that 1/3rd of the vehicles across Europe were electric at that time.

More than that in US urban spaces. They were particularly popular with the ladies who could drive themselves to their favourite new department stores, no need for all that engine cranking and dirty nonsense. Just press a button, select one of 4 optional power settings, and let it go. Most good departments stores then had charging stations where valets would make sure the cars were all charged up after their esteemed visitor's shopping (which, conversely, I expect would probably follow as a home delivery later on horse and cart!).

 

[cah197]

More than that in US urban spaces. They were particularly popular with the ladies who could drive themselves to their favourite new department stores, no need for all that engine cranking and dirty nonsense. Just press a button, select one of 4 optional power settings, and let it go. Most good departments stores then had charging stations where valets would make sure the cars were all charged up after their esteemed visitor's shopping (which, conversely, I expect would probably follow as a home delivery later on horse and cart!).

So do we blame the electric car for helping women to get to vote?!?

 

[donald]

So do we blame the electric car for helping women to get to vote?!?

We can blame electricity itself.

This allowed women to study in the [dark] evenings, and they learned stuff.

 

[cah197]

We can blame electricity itself.

This allowed women to study in the [dark] evenings, and they learned stuff.

That was after they spent a day labouring in the fields?

You know what else I miss? Chimney sweeps that can actually climb up a chimney.

 

[donald]

That was after they spent a day labouring in the fields?

Slightly more subtle than that. If a working [man] wants to come home to a relatively ordered house, clean clothes, fire up and cooked food then someone would have to do that in daylight hours, if there was no night time lighting.So women stayed at home. Once there was evening lightly, the women could then go to work and do that sort of stuff when they get back.

In turn, double-income households have pushed the prices of houses up and lead to cycles of boom and bust because not everyone can have a double income household so the system is unstable.

 

[Zomb]

That was after they spent a day labouring in the fields?

You know what else I miss? Chimney sweeps that can actually climb up a chimney.

Come on, even Bert worked from the top of the chimney. He didn't have to climb up. He was good at dancing on the roof though.