7 Groundbreaking Electric Vehicles Built Before the 1900s
College Dropout Builds Electric Trike in Parent’s Basement
In 1884 Andrew L. Riker dropped out of school and started experimenting with electric motors and a Coventry bicycle. The result was a two-passenger trike that had a 25 mile range using a series of lead-sulfuric acid batteries. Like the bikes of that time it had a tubular steel frame, wire wheels, and pneumatic tires.
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September 28th, 2009 at 8:05 am
No real surprises here…
We have the same concepts once again…
September 28th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Very nice article, we start again the electrical race!!!
September 28th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
What we are seeing here are ideas that came out way before their time, particularly regarding electric cars. Back in the late 19th/early 20th centuries there was no significant electric grid across the country and thus no way electric cars could be an every day practical vehicle outside of certain limited urban areas. Even within urban areas there was no recharging infrastructure whatsoever. Another factor was their cost. As an example, a 1918 Detroit Electric cost around $3,000 as opposed to $400 for a 1918 Model T Ford. By the time the U.S. electrical infrastructure as well as technological advancements in electronics had matured the internal combustion engine had taken over as the powerplant of choice. The current “perfect storm” of high energy prices, advanced technology, more electricity distribution infrastructure have combined to make the electric car a truly practical alternative today. As should be expected, the electric car (in both hybrid and pure electric forms) is becoming more commonplace. We can expect this pattern to continue the process that began such a long time ago with such distinguished pioneers. I salute those early pioneers and eagerly anticipate the future development of electric transportation alternatives.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Great post and a nice flashback to the past.
It is good to see how much things have changed, this time, it seems for the better.
We need to have a special sections on collectible EVs.
The Electricnick.com team with the Electric Car Examiner