Why Electric Vehicles Are Older Than You Think
When most people think of electric vehicles (EVs), they picture modern machines: sleek Teslas, futuristic city cars, or the latest battery-powered SUVs. To many, EVs seem like a cutting-edge response to 21st-century problems—new technology for a new era.
But the truth is far more surprising.
Electric vehicles have been around for well over a century. In fact, they were pioneers of motoring long before the rise of the internal combustion engine. Today’s EV boom is not so much a beginning as a comeback. And understanding this forgotten history offers a valuable perspective on where electric transport is going—and where it’s already been.
Early Sparks: The 19th Century
Electric transport has its roots in the early 1800s, when inventors first began experimenting with battery-powered carriages and trams. By the 1880s, practical electric vehicles were beginning to appear on the streets of major cities.
One of the earliest documented electric cars was developed by Gustave Trouvé in France in 1881—a tricycle fitted with an electric motor and non-rechargeable batteries. Shortly afterwards, British engineer Thomas Parker, who was also instrumental in electrifying London’s Underground, developed his own electric vehicle using rechargeable lead-acid batteries.
By the turn of the 20th century, …