The shift to electric vehicles continues to progress amid the push for more sustainable transportation across the world.
The EV technology has a long history, starting with the first electric car in the mid-1800s.
The first electric car
UK-based inventor Robert Anderson developed the first-ever “crude” electric vehicle in 1832, USA Today reports, citing the Department of Energy. However, it was reportedly about 40 years before electric cars were discovered to have practical usage.
Meanwhile, Iowa native William Morrison delivered the first successful model in the US in 1891. His model initiated significant interest in the new technology.
The DOE defines the first successful EV in the US as a mere “electrified wagon,” which can only travel 14 mph. On the other hand, the country’s first hybrid EV was from German legacy automaker Porsche. Ferdinand Porsche developed the Lohner-Porsche Mixte HEV model in 1901.
Continuous evolution
While early electric vehicle models emerged in the mid-1800s, the first modern EV reportedly arrived in 1894.
Philadelphia natives Pedro Salom and Henry G. Morris patented the Electrobat EV technology during that year. It powered more than 600 cabs in New York.
Honda delivered the inaugural commercial hybrid-electric car, the Insight, in the US in 1999. It hit the North American market one year ahead of the Toyota Prius.
Nonetheless, the Toyota Prius was the first mass-produced HEV in the US. It became available in the Japanese market in 1997. After just three years, the model rolled out to the global market.
Chevrolet’s Volt was the first-ever commercially produced plug-in hybrid car in the US in 2010.
Tesla’s arrival
Tesla Motors formally declared plans to kick off luxury electric sports car production in 2006. It promised to deliver models with more than 200 miles of driving range between charges.
Tesla successfully became an electric vehicle giant in just a decade since its 2006 announcement. Until now, the Musk-led company has been leading the electric vehicle industry with its S3XY lineup and the Cybertruck and the Semi. It plans to launch next-gen models to ensure its future growth.
