Believe it or not, the electric car was invented a long,
long time ago. In 1900, electric cars outsold both
gasoline and steam vehicles because electric cars didn't have
the vibration, noise and dirtiness associated with gas
vehicles.
But soon afterward -- with the discovery of Texas crude oil
that reduced the price of gasoline, the invention of the
electric starter in 1912 that eliminated the need for a hand
crank, and the mass production of internal combustion engine
vehicles by Henry Ford -- the electric vehicle went the way of
the horse and buggy.
Back in the early 1920’s when vehicles were becoming more
popular, gasoline was very expensive. It also was hard to start
a gasoline engine; you had to turn and turn and turn a crank in
front of the car to get it to start.
They did not have a key to start the car like we do today.
Gasoline vehicles were also noisy and put out lots of smoke.
The cars either had no mufflers, or the mufflers didn't do a
good job. So, electric vehicles were a big hit. At one time
there were 50,000 of them on the roads and streets of the
United States.
So when the electric car was invented, it seemed to be the wave
of the future – and that was hundreds of years ago! Now
that we have moved into the twenty-first century, new electric
cars are being invented that have become a new “wave of the
future”.
Totally electric cars produce absolutely no pollution and
are environmentally-friendly like never before. Many car
companies have invented hybrid electric cars that can give you
longer traveling time by allowing you to switch from complete
electric power to gasoline power. While not as completely
pollution free, this type of electric car was invented for
those people who needed to travel long distances but didn’t
want to drive a completely gasoline powered vehicle.
As soon as the modern electric car was invented, it started
a buzz among those who are passionate about the environment and
keeping our world safe and healthy. But many of the large
car companies are finding that producing the car and meeting
the strict safety standards of the U.S. government has been
difficult.
Ever since the electric car was invented, it seemed to be
the answer to a lot of people’s prayers. The electric car
is environmentally friendly and can meet the needs of the
average person actually quite easily.
|