In the early 1800s, automobiles like the ones powered by gasoline that we know today did not exist. Back then, people used horses and carriages to get around. They would horseback ride or get driven in horse drawn carriages. Everyone traveled this way, which was how they got from point A to point B. But in 1828, a British inventor named Ányos Jedlik developed a significant invention known as the electric motor. The electric motor was special because it could convert energy to movement. A lot of people realized that electric motors could be extremely useful in transportation. As a result, the different countries of the world began to work tirelessly on the creation electric cars.
Sometime around 1832, a Scottish inventor named Robert Anderson developed what is now considered the first electric vehicle. But this one resembled a small carriage rather than the cars used these days. It could only do four miles an hour, which is really slow. It could also go about two miles before having to be recharged. This doesn't seem like a long distance for us nowadays, but back then, it was amazing and thrilling. The vehicle operated on a battery that powered an electric motor, and that motor turned the wheels to move the vehicle. This was also a big step in the development of electric cars despite it being less efficient than petrol cars available today.
The 1890s saw a real wave of interest in electric cars among the population. Back in 1891, electric car race happened in France, and that was a huge, exciting event that illustrated how electric vehicles could be fun. Then in 1897, an electric taxi company launched in New York City. Slow but sure, more and more people started to enjoy electric vehicles, particularly in cities where all they had to do was to make short trips. But gasoline-powered cars gained in popularity over the years. As a result, the electric car revolution stagnated and fewer new electric vehicles were produced for years.
The first fully electric car available for purchase, introduced by the company DLST Auto, arrived in 1900. This vehicle was named the “Woods Queen Victoria Electric. It was meant specifically for women, since it had a simple joystick instead of a normal steering wheel so it would be easier to drive. It was also very quiet, reliable, and easy to handle, making it attractive to a wide audience. Despite how much people loved this car, it was still beyond the budget of many families, and gas cars were still the prevalent vehicle of choice back then. However, Woods Queen Victoria Electric was another milestone in the electric car journey.
And thus ushered in a new era of transportation, beginning with the Woods Queen Victoria Electric car. It demonstrated electric vehicles could be environmentally friendly and meet human needs. In time, improved batteries and electric motors provided more power and a longer-range for electric cars. These improvements also made electric cars cheaper, so more people could consider getting one.
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