Electric City Vehicles Cars Power

About Electric City Vehicles Cars Power

For many consumers, EV ownership isn’t as far away as once thought. In fact, several automakers have detailed plans to electrify their fleets by 2025 or sooner, with some aiming for fully electric lineups within five years.

Electric-car development has a long history in America. The first battery-powered cars were developed in the 1890s by Philadelphians Pedro Salom and Henry G. Morris, who built a prototype called the Electrobat. These heavy, slow carriages used steel wheels stuffed with lead batteries to propel them. They were able to travel 25 miles and compete in races against gasoline Duryeas.

In the 1960s, concern over smog led to experimentation with modern battery-powered vehicles. Some, such as the Comuta-Car [above], were designed to meet government contracts for postal delivery, while others were purely experimental. The electric-car boom of the 1990s spawned many companies, including General Motors’ ill-fated EV1, which was produced from 1996 to 1999. GM’s EV1 proved that full-sized, mass-produced electric vehicles can be as appealing as gasoline models with speed, performance, power options, conveniences and comforts.

Today’s EVs range from small, utilitarian designs like the Wink (left) to the Tesla Model S that can accelerate from zero to 60 in 3 seconds. Some, like the Nissan Leaf, have sold more than a million in North America, while newer offerings from companies such as Lucid Motors combine sustainability with luxury, with vehicles able to go for 200 miles on a charge. Many EVs are also available for use by the public through ride-sharing programs like Revel (right) in Miami, Brooklyn and elsewhere, or through rental services that let drivers pay by the hour to use vehicles at designated parking spots.