Some EV History - Page L

Last updated 2003.01.10

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Items of Historical Interest in the Development and Commercialization of EVs

- L -

Lacre

Possibly more properly L'Acre. The Lacre Motor Car Co. of Poland Street and Livonia Street, London W., Letchworth, Herts (England) built an electric brougham in 1904 and 1905. The car used two 4-hp motors driving the rear axle. The firm may also have produced some small commercial electric vehicles. Firm is believed to have operated from 1902-1912.

Lansden

The Lansden Co. of Newark NJ and Dansbury, CT, produced an electric car known as both the Lansden and the Electrette. The car was a 2-seater open roadster, distiguished by a long hood to carry the batteries. The car used a single electric motor and weighed less than 2,000 pounds. 1904-1921.

Lectra Motors

Lectric Leopard - see U.S. Electricar

Le Dauphin

Produced in 1941 and 1942 by André L. Daupin of Paris (France), The Dauphin was a tandem 2-seater powered by an electric motor. Unlike previous pedal and gasoline powered versions, which were cyclecars (3-wheelers), the electric version was a 4-wheeler and steered from the back seat.

Lefert

In 1902, J. Lefert of Ghent (Belgium) produced several small electric cars. Operations from 1901-1905?

Legros

La Plus Simple, R Lefros, Fecamp, France,1900 to somewhere between 1911-1915.

Lems

The London Electromobile Syndicate of George Street, Euston Road, N.W., London (England) produced a small electric 2-seater runabout in 1903. It used tiller steering and claimed a top speed of 12 mph and a range of 40 miles per charge. 1903- to somewhere between 1906-1910.

Lenox

Maxim & Goodridge of Hartford CN produced a number of electric cars in 1908 and 1909. Most were open-bodied cars. The cars were known as the Maxim-Goodridge as well as the Lenox.

Lindsley

J.V. Lindsley & Co., Seymour, Ind.; Dowagiac, MI. USA 1908 to ?

Linear Alpha

This firm operated in Skokie IL in the 1970's and produced both a Dodge van conversion to electric power which boasted a range of 40 miles per charge and a maximum speed of 55 mph, and the Seneca electric mini-car, which claimed a range of 80 km on a charge and a top speed of 64 km/h.

Lohner

Jacob Lohner & Co. or Lohnerwerke, G.m.b.H., 2, Porzellangasse, Floridsdorf, Vienna (Austria) produced electric cars from 1898 to 1906, having begun production of gasoline-powered cars in 1896. One of the employees of Lohner's electric car production area was Ferdinand Porsche, who developed a drive system based on fitting an electric motor to each front wheel without transmissions (hub mounted). Vehicles of this type were known as Lohner-Porsches. Lohner also produced a number of series hybrid electric cars, with a gasoline engine driving a generator to produce the electricity to drive the electric motors. While the technology was reliable, it was not competitive in cost with conventional gasoline-engined cars to produce. Lohner got out of the car business in 1906 when the patents were sold to Emil Jellinek. Lohner did produce trolley buses after 1906 under the name Lohner-Stoll for several years. The company continued to operate long after it stopped building electrics and hybrids, perhaps as late as 1940.

London (UK) Electrical Cab Company Ltd

The Surprisingly Old Story Of London’s First Ever Electric Taxi
Image "From a Photograph taken ouside the Company's premises, Juxon Street, Lambeth".

Lucania

Carl Opperman, Wynyatt Street, Clerkenwell, E.C., Great Britain. Somewhere between 1901- 1905

Lucas

Based in England, and known primarily as the producer of automotive electrical components, Lucas did convert a number of delivery vans to electric power, notably Bedford (GM) and British Leyland 250 JU vans, to showcase their components and technology in the 1970's. They also converted a Seddon-Atkinson Pennine-IV bus to electric power.

Luciole

[dead link: http://www.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~gaura/luciole/index_e.html] Check it out at this Web site

Lyon Laboratory

Hybrid Chevette

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