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Some EV History - Page ELast updated 2003.07.18 Introduction
| Acknowledgements |
Other Sources of EV History
Information [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z] [Numbers] Items of Historical Interest in the Development and Commercialization of EVs- E -EAA - see Electric Automobile AssociationEagle MarketingEagleEagle Electric Automobile Co., Inc., Detroit, MI., 1915 EagletProduced by Silent Transport Ltd. of Woking (England) in 1948, the Eaglet was a small 3-wheeler 2-door electric car. A range of 25-30 miles per charge and a maximum speed of 30 mph were claimed. It appears few were sold, however the company also converted Opel Cadets and Fiat Topolinos to electric power, and may have sold a number of these conversions. EastmanH.E. Eastman, Cleveland, Ohio, 1899-1902 EatonThe Eaton Electric Motor Carriage Co. of Boston MA showed a light electric 2-seater in Boston in 1898. Ecos - see PinanFarinaEddyEddy Electric Mfg. Co., Windsor, Conn, 1902 Edison CellEdison, Thomas AlvaEdison played with electric cars as well as many other things.
His 1889 3-wheel electric run-about is in the holdings of the
Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn MI. This is believed to be the first
car built by Edison. ElcarBuilt by Zagato of Italy in the mid 1970's, the Elcars were a 2-door, 2-seater light electric car. They had fibreglass bodies and their suspension components drew heavily from Fiat cars of the period, notably the Fiat 124. Some 500 Elcars are believed to have been produced from 1974 to 1976. Zagato is supposed to have built 4-seater electric minicars in the early 1980's, but I have not found any reliable information on this vehicle. It is believed that 5 Elcars were imported into Canada. They are known to have run in Nepean ON, Bracebridge ON, Ottawa ON and London, ON. There is an Elcar in the collection of the S. Ray Miller Antique Auto Museum in Elkhart IN. The North American Elcars were assembled in Elkhart in the 1970's. An interesting side-note: There were "Elcars" produced in Elkhart IN from 1916 to 1931, initially by the brothers William B. and George B. Pratt, and after 1921 by former Auburn executives, but they were not electric. Elcar 1000Elcar 2000Photo of Elcar 2000 (colour - 143k)ElcatThis firm is still in operation and has their own Web page, so
they can best tell you about themselves. Electra (1)This Electra was produced by H. Krüger of Berlin (Germany) from 1899 to 1900. It was a small 3-wheeler, 2 seater electric car. Electra (2)This Electra was produced by the Electra Storage Battery Power Co. of Chicago IL from 1913 to 1915. The car was an enclosed body, 2-seater weighing in at just 750 pounds. It used a 2.5 hp electric drive motor. Électra - see FaureElectra-CarThe Electra-Car was a wheelchair transporter built by E.T. Systems of Toronto ON circa 1981. This vehicle was built to permit a wheelchair to be driven into it, then permit the occupant of the wheelchair to operate the car. A top speed of 20 mph was claimed for this very small vehicle. Electra King - see B & Z Electric Car Co.Electra SpiderIn the 1970's, the Die Mesh Corp. built the Electra Spider prototype electric car. It used 18 lead-acid batteries for energy storage, had a gross vehicle weight rating of 1,295 kg, and claimed a maximum speed of 88 km/h and a range of 45 to 80 km per charge depending on driving conditions. Electrek - see Unique MobilityElectric Auto AssociationElectric Auto CorporationThis company has become Apollo Energy Systems. They are still around and on the Web, so they can tell you about themselves better than I can. Electric Auto Corporation / Apollo Energy Systems Home Page Electric Automobile AssociationElectric Fuel PropulsionStarted by Robert Aronson in the late 1960's, this firm has developed a number of prototypes based on conversions of mass-produced gasoline-powered vehicles, but has not yet managed significant production of any of these vehicles. It was an EFP vehicle that won the 1970 Clean Air Race in the U.S. Over the years, these prototypes have included the following vehicles. ElectrosportAn AMC Hornet converted to electric propulsion by American Motors Corporation and Electric Fuel Propulsion in the 1970's. A top speed of 69 mph and a range of 73 miles at a constant 40 mph were claimed for this car. Mars I and Mars IIThe Mars I and Mars II were converted Renault 10's. At least 40 of the Mars II cars were produced, many of which were sold to electrical utility companies in the U.S. A Mars II was sold to Calgary City Power, which was subsequently provided to the University of Calgary. Silver VoltThe Silver Volt was a converted Chevrolet Chevelle, with significant styling changes to disguise the origin of the shell. ThunderboltTransformer IThe Transformer 1 was a converted AMC Gremlin. Electric Passenger Cars and VansElectric ShopperThe Electric Shopper was produced by Electric Shopper Co. of
Long Beach CA from 1952 to 1962 (per Standard Catalog of American
Cars 1946-1975). There appears to have been only one model, a
run-about with a 61-inch wheelbase. A correspondent has described
to me a 1956 model with a steel body, 24-volt, tiller steering,
top, wrap around windshield, and doors. Later models (at least as
late as 1964) appear to have included a small 3-wheeler with a
plastic body. It was a low-speed, short-range vehicle designed
specifically for short errands as suggested by its name. Both
fiberglass and steel bodies were available, with the steel
versions being less expensive. Power was supplied by a 24-volt,
series DC motor rated at 1.5 hp. Top speed was approximately 18
mph and range was claimed to be over 30 miles per charge. The body
was 86 inches long. Electric TerrierProduced by British Leyland in England in the early 1980's, this was a large truck. Electric Vehicle Associates (EVA)This company was located in Cleveland OH from 1974 to 1982, and were known for converting gasoline-powered cars to electric power. They produced several models, possibly including a small van, a small pickup truck and a Ford Mustang, in addition to those listed below. Change of PaceConversion of an AMC Pacer station wagon. At least 50 of these were produced, most of which ended up in demonstration projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1970's. One of these vehicles was operated by Varta Batteries in Montréal, PQ, which was later purchased and operated privately in British Columbia. Current FareThe Current Fare was a conversion of a Ford Fairmont. Both sedans and station wagon versions were produced. 20 of these vehicles were purchased by New York Consolidated Edison in 1981 and operated by Con Ed for several years. Ontario Hydro had one of the station wagon versions in the 1980's. ElectrobusOriginally designed by Otis Elevator in 1973, this design was
subsequently built by a company called Electrobus, and beginning
in 1976, by EVA in Cleveland. At least 11 were built and put into
service. MetroThis was a conversion of a Renault 12, a 4-door, 4-seater,
front-wheel drive car using an automatic 3-speed transmission. The
car had a curb weight of 3, 150 pounds, and a GVW rating of 3,750
pounds. Range on a single charge was claimed to be 58 miles at
approximately 25 mph, 34 miles at 35 miles per hour, 37 miles at
45 miles per hour and 33 miles at 55 mph (the advertised maximum
speed). Acceleration from 0-30 mph was claimed to be less than 15
seconds, and 0-45 mph in 27 seconds. One of these appeared in
Jimmy Carter's U.S. Presidential Inauguration Parade in 1977.
Seven were sold as a fleet to the Province of Manitoba in 1975,
which 2 were subsequently donated to the University of Manitoba in
Winnipeg and 5 were auctioned off to individuals and ended up in
Gimli MB, Winnipeg MB, Calgary, AB, Edmonton AB and Ottawa ON. The
author drove one until 2002, when it was retired. Electric Vehicles of America (EVA)Electric Vehicle Association of Canada (EVAC)The Electric Vehicle Association of Canada (EVAC) was founded in 1978. The founding members were Fred Johnson, Fred Green, Nelson Durie and Darryl McMahon with encouragement from Renton Patterson. Fred Johnson was the original Executive Director. In the early 1980s, the organization chose to eliminate individual membership (although it was individual EV enthusiasts that had founded the organization) and focus on bringing in large companies as members. Individual membership was re-instated in the 1990s to try to increase revenue, but few individuals joined due to the prohibitive membership fee. Individuals were purged from membership again after 2000. EVAC effectively became dormant in 2003 and closed operations entirely in either late 2004 or 2005. Electric Wheel Company(circa 1915? Quincy, IL? Produced farm tractors?) ÉlectricarThis was a 2-seater, 3-wheeler cyclecar built in Couaillet 77 Rue des Rosiers, St. Ouen (Seine, France) from 1920 to 1924. It used a single 2.5 hp motor. ElectricshawThe Electricshaw was developed by Dr. Peter Quandt of Edmonton AB in the 1970's. It claimed a range of 100 miles on a charge and a top speed of 60 mph. There is no evidence of production beyond the prototype stage. Electrobus - see Electric Vehicle Associates - ElectrobusElectro Car 600Produced by Electro Car Inc. (in the 1970s?), the Electro Car 600 was a 4-passenger car with a gross vehicle weight rating of 1638 kg, a range of 64 km per charge and a maximum speed of 97 km/h. Electro MasterProduced by Nepa Mfg Co. of Pasadena CA beginning in 1962, this was light electric car (weighing 680 pounds) built of steel and fibreglass. Maximum speed was 20 mph, with a range of 40 miles on a charge. Six 6-volt golf-cart batteries supplied power to the single 2 hp electric motor which drove the vehicle. ElectrobusElectrocicloVery small quantities of this car were produced by the Electrociclo SA of the Basque region of Spain in 1945 and 1946. The car was a small 2-seater. Their address was Barrio Chonta, Eibar (Guipuzcoa) Électrocyclette - see A.É.MÉlectroletteThis car was produced by Cie. Parisienne des Voitures Electriques, of 35 Rue de Ponthieu, Nice (France) from 1941-1943. It was a light electric 2-seater in both open and closed body models. It is believed that a few hundred of these vehicles were produced. Maximum speed was 20 mph. A single 1.5 hp motor drove the vehicle. Not to be confused with the vehicle produced by Kriéger in the early 1900's. ElectromobileNot be confused with the Chapman vehicles (see Chapman) or the U.S.S.R. jeep which were also referred to as Electromobiles on occasion, these vehicles were produced by the British Electromobile Co. Ltd. of Prospect Works, Otley, Yorks, London (England) from 1901 to 1920. While a variety of models and configurations were produced, the early electrics from this firm were generally open-body 4-seaters, with a steering wheel on a tilted steering column, the electric motor mounted on the rear axle and batteries carried under the floor of the car. The vehicles were noted for their reliability. In 1919, the firm introduced the Elmo which featured an enclosed body and an 8.5 hp motor. It appears the Elmo was not a commercial success. ElectromobilesBased in India, this firm produced the Silencia Electroped 24, a 24-volt electric moped. This vehicle may also have been marketed as the Electrona 24. ÉlectromotionThe Societé l'Électromotion of 54 Avenue Montaigne, Paris (France) built electric cars from 1900 to 1909. Mostly 4-seaters were produced, and the styling was conventional for the period. Electromotion Inc.A joint venture of Otis (the elevator company) and EVA-Chloride, based in Bedford MA in the 1970's, this company produced a prototype delivery van which claimed a top speed of 45 mph and a range of 35 miles per charge using 14 6-volt lead-acid batteries weighing a total of 950 pounds. Electronic La SaettaThe Electronic Motor Car Corp. of Salt Lake City UT developed a prototype hybrid in 1955. The vehicle was a 2-seater sports car with a fibreglass body. The car used an on-board generator set to keep the battery pack charged while in operation. Other models were announced, but no other vehicles were ever produced. Electrovair, Electrovair II - see General MotorsElectrovan - see General MotorsElectrovette - see General MotorsÉlectro-RenardThis small electric 2-seater was produced in Lyons (France) from 1943 to 1946. Presumably another vehicle produced in response to the scarcity of gasoline in France during the war years. EliesonIn 1897 and 1898, Elieson Lamina Accumulator Syndicate Ltd. of London (England) offered an electric car, a taxi and a delivery van. The car was also known as the Swan. Elieson's primary contribution to the vehicles was the batteries, which were actually constructed by another firm (John Warrick & Co. Ltd. of Reading). EliteElite-Werke, A.G. Zossenerstr.,Berlin, S.W. 29 Germany EllisThe Ellis was an electric car based very much on small horse-drawn carriages, built by the Triumph Motor Vehicle Co. of Chicago IL (not to be confused with the British sports car maker) in 1900 and 1901. Elroy EngineeringElwell-ParkerElwell-Parker Electric Co., St Clair Ave., Cleveland, Ohio, 1909-1910 EnfieldEnfield 465The Enfield 465 was a small electric car claiming a range of 60 km and a maximum speed of 60 km/h. It was powered by a 4.65-hp motor from a 48-volt lead-acid battery pack. The enclosed body was made of fibreglass and had sliding doors. While prototypes were produced, this particular vehicle does not appear to have seen significant production. Enfield 8000The Enfield 8000 was designed from the ground-up to be an electric car. It was produced by Enfield Automotive of London (England) in the mid-1960s. These were 2-door, 4-seater cars with a reported range of 39 to 90 km per charge (depending on driving conditions) and a maximum speed of 64 km/h. The curb weight of the vehicle was 975 kg. It used a tubular steel chassis/frame and aluminum body panels. The motor was connected to a single-speed differential. Reversing the car was accomplished by reversing the drive motor by means of a forward/reverse electric switch on the dashboard. An on-board charger charged both the traction batteries and the accessory battery from any 240-volt, 13-amp outlet (common in Europe). Approximately 70 were purchased by the Electricity Council (England) in 1966 and supplied to electric utilities in England and Wales to demonstrate the practicality of electric cars. Early versions were fitted with 8 x 12-volt traction batteries and a single 12-volt accessory battery. The traction batteries were set up in parallel pairs, with the pairs connected in series to provide 48 volts. Problems with unequal charging and discharging of the parallel pairs resulted in the use of 8 x 6-volt batteries wired as a single series string (still producing 48 volts) being used in later versions of the car. The basic vehicles used a combination of battery switching (12, 24 and 48 volt settings) and field control on the motor to provide speed control. All batteries were in the circuit in all power configurations (to even the discharge). There is an Enfield 8000 in Vancouver BC which is the property
of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association (VEVA), which was
previously owned by BC Hydro. This vehicle was subsequently
provided to an individual as a testbed for work on continuously
variable transmissions. Another was reported in private hands in
Toronto ON in 1979. Enfield Electric VanErieErie and Sturges, Los Angeles, 1897 E.R. Thomas Motor CompanyIn 1901, in Toronto ON, the E.R. Thomas Motor Company was producing electric cars. This company produced the Ivanhoe Electric Roadster, circa 1903. The company was later known as CCM (Canadian Cycle and Motor) and still produces bicycles today. ETV-1This was a prototype vehicle produced under a project funded by the U.S. government (DOE) in the late 1970's. GE was the prime contractor for the design and development of the vehicle. Using 18 lead-acid batteries, the vehicle was a 4-seater which claimed a maximum speed of 96 km/h and a range of 112 to 184 km per charge, depending on driving conditions. The vehicle never went into production. ETV-2This was a prototype vehicle produced by Garrett/AiResearch under a U.S. DOE contract in the late 1970's. EVA - see Electric Vehicle Associates, Electric Vehicles of AmericaEVA-ChlorideEVA-Chloride was a joint venture of Electric Vehicle Associates of Cleveland OH and the Chloride battery company with its home base in England. Silent RiderThe Silent Rider was an all-electric 50-passenger bus produced in the late 1970's. Silent KarrierThe Silent Karrier was an all-electric delivery van. EVAC - see Electric Vehicle Association of CanadaEVIEVI Inc. of Sterling MI produced a 3-wheeler electric car in the 1970's with a claimed range of 45 miles per charge and a top speed of 25 mph. It does not appear that anything more than prototypes were produced. This website is powered by renewable
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