The surprisingly long history of electric cars - Daniel Sperling and Gil Tal

Summary

In 1899, electric vehicles were popular due to their ease of use and cleanliness, but faced challenges with expensive, inefficient batteries. By 1915, advancements in internal combustion engines and cheaper gasoline made gas-powered cars dominant. However, concerns over oil availability and emissions in the 1970s reignited interest in electric vehicles. By the 1990s, improved battery technology and regulatory mandates led to a resurgence of electric cars. Today, with governments prioritizing climate change, electric vehicles are poised to replace gas-powered ones, as seen in Norway where 75% of car sales in 2020 were electric.

Takeaways

• 🚗 In 1899, steam-powered, gasoline-powered, and electric vehicles were the three major car options available.
• 💧 Steam cars required carrying extra water and had a long engine warm-up time.
• 🔧 Gasoline cars had the disadvantage of requiring hand-cranking to start and produced loud, smelly exhaust.
• 🔋 Electric vehicles were quick to start, clean, quiet, and easy to refuel with electricity, making them popular in the late 19th century.
• 📉 The high cost and inefficiency of early batteries hindered the long-term success of electric vehicles.
• 🛠️ Thomas Edison and others tried to improve battery technology, and battery exchange stations were an early attempt to solve range issues.
• 📉 The advent of the affordable Ford Model T in 1908, along with improvements in gasoline engines, led to a decline in electric vehicles' popularity.
• 🔄 In the 1970s, concerns about oil availability and environmental impacts renewed interest in electric vehicles.
• 🔬 The development of more efficient batteries, like nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion, paved the way for modern electric vehicles.
• 🚀 Tesla's introduction of the lithium-ion-powered Roadster in 2008 marked a significant milestone, with a range that almost doubled previous electric vehicle records.
• 🌍 Today, electric vehicles are improving in performance and cost-effectiveness, and global policies are encouraging their adoption to combat climate change.

Q & A

What were the three major options for car buyers in 1899?

In 1899, car buyers had three major options: steam-powered cars, gasoline-powered cars, and battery-powered electric vehicles.

What were the drawbacks of steam-powered cars during the late 19th century?

Steam-powered cars required carrying extra water for refueling and had a 30-minute engine warm-up time.

Why were gasoline-powered cars considered dangerous in their early days?

Gasoline-powered cars required hand-cranking to start, which was dangerous, and they emitted loud noises and foul-smelling exhaust.

Why did electric vehicles become popular at the end of the 19th century?

Electric vehicles were popular because they were quick to start, clean, quiet, and easy to refuel overnight if electricity was accessible.

What was the major problem with electric vehicles in the late 1800s?

The major problem was the expensive and inefficient batteries, which limited the range of electric vehicles.

What technological advancements made internal combustion engines more appealing in the early 20th century?

Electric starters, mufflers, and rubber engine mounts made internal combustion engines easier to start, quieter, and less vibrational.

How did the release of Ford's Model T impact the electric car industry?

The Model T was a cheap, high-quality gas-powered car that captured the public's imagination, leading to a significant decline in the popularity of electric cars.

What renewed interest in electric vehicles in the 1970s?

Concerns about oil availability in the US and studies linking car emissions to smog in cities like Los Angeles renewed interest in electric vehicles.

What types of batteries were developed in the 1990s that improved electric vehicle technology?

In the 1990s, energy-dense nickel metal hydride batteries and lithium-ion batteries were developed, which improved electric vehicle technology.

How did Tesla's Roadster change perceptions about electric vehicles in 2008?

Tesla's Roadster demonstrated that electric vehicles could travel more than 320 kilometers on a single charge, almost doubling the previous record and challenging the notion that electric cars had limited range.

What are some current policies that are encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles worldwide?

Policies such as California’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate and Europe’s aggressive CO2 emission standards are encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles by slowing investments in gas-powered vehicles.

What is the current status of electric vehicle sales in Norway, as mentioned in the script?

In 2020, 75% of car sales in Norway were plug-in electric vehicles, indicating a significant shift towards electric mobility.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 The Rise and Fall of Early Electric Cars

In 1899, consumers had three types of cars to choose from: steam-powered, gasoline-powered, and electric. Steam cars required carrying water and had a slow start-up time. Gasoline cars were noisy and dangerous to start. Electric cars were the preferred choice due to their quick start, cleanliness, and quiet operation. However, they suffered from expensive and inefficient batteries, limiting their range and making them a luxury item. Despite early popularity, advancements in gasoline engines and the falling price of oil led to a decline in electric cars by 1915.

🔋 Revival of Electric Vehicles in the 20th Century

In the 1970s, concerns over oil availability and the link between car emissions and smog renewed interest in electric vehicles. Despite car companies focusing on internal combustion engines, other businesses developed efficient batteries for electronics. By the 1990s, nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries emerged, leading to the introduction of hybrid cars. Tesla's Roadster in 2008 marked a significant step forward for electric vehicles, with a range that nearly doubled the previous record.

🌍 Modern Advancements and Global Shift Towards Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles have seen vast improvements in cost, performance, efficiency, and availability. They can now outperform gas-powered cars in acceleration and offer long-term savings. With a focus on climate change, governments are promoting electric vehicles, as seen in Norway's high electric car sales and policies like California's Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. This global shift is expected to phase out gas-powered vehicles, potentially making electric cars the dominant mode of transportation in the future.

Keywords

💡Steam-powered car

A steam-powered car is a vehicle that uses steam as its power source. These cars were one of the early options for personal transportation in the late 19th century. In the script, it is mentioned that steam-powered cars could drive long distances if you carried extra water for refueling and were willing to wait for the engine to heat up, which took about 30 minutes. This illustrates the practical challenges of early automotive technology and sets the stage for the evolution of car power sources.

💡Gasoline-powered car

A gasoline-powered car is a vehicle that uses gasoline as fuel, typically powered by an internal combustion engine. The script describes these early models as requiring dangerous hand-cranking to start and emitting loud noises and foul-smelling exhaust. This highlights the drawbacks of early gasoline-powered cars and contrasts with the more user-friendly electric vehicles of the time.

💡Electric vehicle (EV)

An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that is powered by an electric motor, drawing energy from rechargeable batteries. The script highlights that in the late 19th century, nearly 40% of American cars were electric, which were quick to start, clean, and quiet to run. This shows the historical popularity of electric vehicles before the rise of gasoline-powered cars.

💡Battery

A battery is a device that stores chemical energy and makes it available as electrical energy. In the context of the script, early car batteries were expensive and inefficient, which was a major problem for electric vehicles. The script mentions that many inventors, including Thomas Edison, tried to improve battery technology, which is crucial for the development and practicality of electric vehicles.

💡Internal combustion engine

An internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs in a confined space, causing a piston to move. The script discusses how new advances made internal combustion engines more appealing by the early 20th century, with electric starters removing the need for hand-cranking, and mufflers and rubber engine mounts reducing noise and vibration.

💡Model T

The Model T is an automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1927. It was a significant innovation in the automotive industry due to its affordability and quality. The script notes that the Model T captured the public's imagination and contributed to the decline in popularity of electric cars, as it was a cheap, high-quality gasoline-powered car.

💡Hybrid car

A hybrid car is a vehicle that uses a combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor to propel itself. The script explains that hybrids are not true electric vehicles, as their batteries are used to optimize the efficiency of gasoline engines rather than to power the vehicle solely. Hybrids represent a transitional technology between traditional gasoline-powered cars and fully electric vehicles.

💡Lithium-ion battery

A lithium-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that is commonly used in portable electronics and electric vehicles due to its high energy density and longevity. The script mentions that lithium-ion batteries, along with nickel metal hydride batteries, were key to the resurgence of electric vehicles in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, enabling them to have better performance and longer ranges.

💡Tesla Motors

Tesla Motors, now known as Tesla, Inc., is an American electric vehicle and clean energy company. The script highlights Tesla's introduction of the lithium-ion-powered Roadster in 2008, which had a significant impact on the electric vehicle market by demonstrating that electric cars could have performance comparable to or exceeding that of gasoline-powered cars.

💡Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate is a regulation that requires a certain percentage of new vehicles sold to be zero-emission vehicles, such as electric cars. The script refers to California's ZEV mandate as an example of how policies are driving the transition from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles, illustrating the role of government regulations in promoting clean transportation.

💡Climate change

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, primarily caused by human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels. The script connects the push for electric vehicles to global efforts to slow climate change, as electric cars produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to those powered by internal combustion engines.

Highlights

In 1899, steam-powered, gasoline-powered, and battery-powered electric vehicles were the three major car options.

Steam-powered cars required extra water and a 30-minute engine warm-up.

Gasoline cars had dangerous hand-cranking and emitted loud, foul-smelling exhaust.

Electric vehicles were quick to start, clean, quiet, and easy to refuel with access to electricity.

By the end of the 19th century, nearly 40% of American cars were electric.

Electric vehicles were popular due to their reliability compared to explosive gasoline cars.

Early car batteries were expensive and inefficient, limiting electric vehicle range.

Inventors like Thomas Edison tried to improve battery storage capacity.

Battery exchange stations were built in urban areas to swap out dead batteries.

Electric vehicles were over twice as expensive as gas-powered cars, making them a luxury item.

Oil discoveries and advances in internal combustion engines made gasoline cars more appealing.

The 1908 Ford Model T was a cheap, high-quality gas-powered car that dominated the market.

By 1915, the prevalence of electric cars on the road had significantly decreased.

In the 1970s, concerns about oil availability and smog renewed interest in electric vehicles.

Car companies had not invested in solving the battery problem for decades.

The 1990s saw the market introduction of energy-dense nickel metal hydride batteries.

Tesla Motors introduced the lithium-ion-powered Roadster in 2008, with a range over 320 km.

Electric vehicles have improved in cost, performance, efficiency, and availability.

Government policies are focusing on electric vehicles to combat climate change.

In 2020, 75% of car sales in Norway were plug-in electric vehicles.

Policies like California’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate are slowing investments in gas-powered vehicles.

Electric cars are expected to replace gas-powered ones, with advancements in technology and policy support.

Transcripts

If you were buying a car in 1899,

you would’ve had three major options to choose from.

You could buy a steam-powered car.

Typically relying on gas-powered boilers, these could drive as far as you wanted—

provided you also wanted to lug around extra water to refuel

and didn’t mind waiting 30 minutes for your engine to heat up.

Alternatively, you could buy a car powered by gasoline.

However, the internal combustion engines in these models

required dangerous hand-cranking to start

and emitted loud noises and foul-smelling exhaust while driving.

So your best bet was probably option number three:

a battery-powered electric vehicle.

These cars were quick to start, clean and quiet to run,

and if you lived somewhere with access to electricity,

easy to refuel overnight.

If this seems like an easy choice, you're not alone.

By the end of the 19th century, nearly 40% of American cars were electric.

In cities with early electric systems,

battery-powered cars were a popular and reliable alternative

to their occasionally explosive competitors.

But electric vehicles had one major problem—

batteries.

Early car batteries were expensive and inefficient.

Many inventors, including Thomas Edison,

tried to build batteries that stored more electricity.

Others even built exchange stations in urban areas to swap out dead batteries

for charged ones.

But these measures weren’t enough to allow electric vehicles to make long trips.

And at over twice the price of a gas-powered car,

many couldn’t afford these luxury items.

At the same time, oil discoveries lowered the price of gasoline,

and new advances made internal combustion engines more appealing.

Electric starters removed the need for hand-cranking,

mufflers made engines quieter and rubber engine mounts reduced vibration.

In 1908, Ford released the Model T;

a cheap, high-quality gas-powered car that captured the public imagination.

By 1915, the percentage of electric cars on the road had plummeted.

For the next 55 years, internal combustion engines ruled the roads.

Aside from some special-purpose vehicles, electric cars were nowhere to be found.

However, in the 1970s, the tide began to turn.

US concerns about oil availability renewed interest in alternative energy sources.

And studies in the 1980s linking car emissions with smog

in cities like Los Angeles

encouraged governments and environmental organizations

to reconsider electric vehicles.

At this point, car companies had spent decades

investing in internal combustion engines without devoting any resources

to solving the century-old battery problem.

But other companies were developing increasingly efficient batteries

to power a new wave of portable electronics.

By the 1990s, energy dense nickel metal hydride batteries were on the market,

soon followed by lithium-ion batteries.

Alongside regulatory mandates by California to reduce smog,

these innovations sparked a small wave of new electric vehicles,

including hybrid cars.

Hybrids aren’t true electric vehicles;

their nickel metal hydride batteries

are only used to optimize the efficiency of gas-burning engines.

But in 2008, Tesla Motors went further,

grabbing the attention of consumers, automakers, and regulators

with its lithium-ion-powered Roadster.

This purely electric vehicle could travel more than 320 kilometers

on a single charge,

almost doubling the previous record.

Since then, electric vehicles have vastly improved in cost, performance,

efficiency, and availability.

They can accelerate much faster than gas-powered sports cars,

and while some models still have a high upfront cost,

they reliably save their drivers money in the long run.

As governments around the world focus on slowing climate change,

electric vehicles are now expected to replace gas-powered ones altogether.

In Norway, 75% of car sales in 2020 were plug-in electric vehicles.

And policies such as California’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate

and Europe’s aggressive CO2 emission standards

have dramatically slowed investments in gas-powered vehicles worldwide.

Soon, electric cars will reclaim their place on the road,

putting gasoline in our rearview.