SHOPSMART AUTOS – CUSTOMER INFORMATION – JUNE 16, 2021 (PT.3)
Gasoline vs Electric Cars: Not Much Has Changed in 100 Years
The Edison Storage Battery Company
In 1901 he formed the Edison Storage Battery Company and began development of a better battery. Electric-car followers thought Edison’s genius would quickly solve the EV’s problems, but his early batteries had problems ranging from acid eating through welded seams to exploding cells to rapid loss of capacity. As word leaked out—much like the acid—it seemed as if any hope for an electric-car revolution was in vain. Meanwhile, Ford was determined to bring motoring to the masses. He founded Ford Motor Co. in 1903, and initially offered a broad lineup of vehicles. The success of the entry-level Model N strengthened Ford’s resolve to concentrate on low-cost motoring, and by 1908 he had discontinued nearly every car in his company’s range, replacing them with his newest creation, the Model T.
When did Thomas Edison Invent the Storage Battery?
Edison continued development, and the breakthrough finally came in 1907 with new technology for both the positive electrode and the electrolyte. In June 1908, he declared his new battery complete. Edison’s nickel-iron battery was at least twice as expensive as competing lead-acid batteries, but it was maintenance free and lasted four years. So great was the threat that Edison’s biggest competitor, the Electric Storage Battery Company—later renamed Exide—developed a competing battery called the Ironclad, though it contained no iron. It was a standard lead-acid battery that could, with careful maintenance, last a whole two years.
Early Electric Car Companies
All of these battery improvements fed a surge in electric car sales that began around 1907, the same year the Anderson Carriage Company introduced a new car called the Detroit Electric. Competitor Baker Motor Vehicles offered an electric roadster that could reach 40 MPH—same as the Model T—and run 100 miles at a more conservative 14 mph. At a time when the rural speed limit was still 25, this was considered acceptable performance.
When did Electric Cars Become Popular?
With car ownership on the rise, EV manufacturers began concentrating on the urban market. Horses still clogged city streets, impeding the progress of motor vehicles. Electric cars were targeted at upscale city dwellers, as they could easily emulate the usage patterns of the horse and wagon. Electric-car garages appeared with a business model taken directly from livery stables: For a monthly fee, cars would be charged, cleaned and maintained nightly, and delivered to the house as needed, just like their carriages.
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