The concept of cars running on electricity might have been a daydream in the early days, but it is a reality now. As a matter of fact, electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a viable solution against the looming threat of climate change and depleting resources.
However, car manufacturers have not just started to produce electric cars in recent times. The concept of electric cars has been rolling around from the previous centuries. The electric cars have seen many turns of events before it became a reality.
In today’s world, with the surge in petrol prices, people are inclined towards electric cars more than ever before. Besides, governments around the world are trying to encourage the use of eco-friendly vehicles. However, one of the major reasons behind the rising popularity of electric cars in recent times is the evolution of electric car technology and how far EVs have come over the years.
Here is an overview of how electric cars work and the evolution of electric cars over the years.
HOW ELECTRIC CARS WORK
A conventional car has an Internal Combustion (IC) engine that burns the fuel to move the car. As compared to a conventional car, an electric car is equipped with an electric motor, a battery pack, and a transmission.
When an electric car is charged from the grid, the energy is stored inside the pack of batteries. The energy is then transmitted to the electric motor via a controller. The motor then converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy via transmission. This puts the wheel in motion, hence moving the car.
Because of the non-usage of fuel in electric cars, there are no carbon emissions and no or little sound.
ELECTRIC CARS OVER THE YEARS
Before fuel cars came into existence, horses and buggies were used as means of transportation. Going back to the 19th Century, several great minds in Hungary, Netherlands, and USA thought of the idea of creating small-scale electric cars.
Let’s go through a timeline to see the evolution of electric cars over the years.
1830-1839
Between 1830-1839, a Scottish inventor, Robert Anderson invented the motorised carriage. He used a disposable battery for the carriage and crude oil was used to produce electricity.
The vehicle ran on a single charge since rechargeable batteries were not introduced by that time. It could run at the speed of 12 kilometres per hour.
1842
A more practical and more successful electric vehicle was created by Thomas Davenport and Scotsman Robert Davidson. The new electric car used non-rechargeable electric batteries.
The extra batteries increased the travelled distance but the non-chargeable aspect meant the vehicle only had a single run.
1881
Electric car innovation saw a new turn. Rechargeable lead-acid batteries were invented in 1965 by a French Physicist, Gaston Plante. The recharging feature of the batteries made the concept of the electric car practical.
Frenchman Gustave Trouvé designed the Trouvé tricycle in 1881. His three-wheeled electric vehicle was powered by two engines. The engines drew power from several lead batteries.
The tricycle could travel with a range of 14 to 26 kilometres per hour.
1898
Porsche, a current automobile giant, launched its first-ever vehicle “Egger-Lohner electric vehicle”, commonly known as the P1. It was an electric car weighing just 130 kilograms.
The battery-powered car offered an output of 3 hp which could go up to 5 hp for shorter periods in overloading mode. This allowed the car to achieve a speed of 35 kilometres per hour. This was an addition to the interesting facts about Porsche.
In early 1898, “La Jamais Contente” became the first road vehicle to cross the 100 kilometres per hour mark. The Belgian electric vehicle came with a light-alloy torpedo-shaped bodywork and batteries.
1899
Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of Porsche, launched the first-ever hybrid car “Lohner-Porsche Mixte”. The vehicle was powered by a gas engine and electricity stored inside a battery.
In 1900, Lohner-Porsche Mixte was presented at the Paris World Fair.
THE RISE OF ELECTRIC CARS (1880-1914)
Three major factors contributed to the popularity of electric cars in comparison to steam and fuel cars:
- They did not emit any harmful pollutants
- They did not require a change of gears
- They did not have long startup times
- They did not produce noise
Electric cars became prominently popular in areas with electricity. As electricity reached more areas, electric cars also grew in demand. This was a new chapter in the evolution of electric cars.
THE DARK PERIOD FOR ELECTRIC CARS (1914-1970)
The emergence of new oil fields saw a decrease in the prices of fuel. Fuel was available at more places now and at lower prices. This led to a shift of interest from eclectic vehicles to fuel vehicles.
The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) saw a huge increase in demand with the new advancements and lower fuel prices. The mass production of Henry Ford’s internal combustion engines also played a part.
The ICE cars were widely available at affordable prices. While the price of electric vehicles continued to grow, ICE cars were presented at relatively lower prices which ignited a change of interest in people.
The next thirty years saw few advancements in electric cars. As a result, electric vehicles stayed low for the better part of half a century.
1960
Even during the declining period of electric cars, there were a few attempts made to bring environment-friendly vehicles back into the business.
During the mid-1960s, General Motors (GM) experimented with their concept car, Electrovair. Based on their 1966 model Corvair, Electrovair was powered by a silver-zinc battery pack that could deliver 532 volts.
However, Electrovair never made it to mass production and ICE cars stood their ground, slowing down the process of electric vehicle innovation.
A LITTLE SHIFT OF INTEREST TO ELECTRIC CARS (1970)
Several factors contributed to the revival of electric cars. By the 1970s, oil shortages had grown and reached an all-time high in 1973. The shortages diverted the interest from ICE cars to some extent.
Additionally, NASA helped raise the profile when the electric lunar rover became the first manned vehicle to move on the moon.
This shifted the interest of the manufacturers towards electric vehicles again. However, electric cars did not become a sensation because of their limited performance, range, and price.
THE REVIVAL OF ELECTRIC CARS (1996)
Since the 1970s, scientists and engineers have been trying to overcome the limitations of electric cars. The intent was to produce cars with better batteries that can compete with the speed and range of fuel-powered cars.
In 1996, GM developed the first modern-age electric car. “EV1” was the first mass-manufactured car in the modern era by a major automobile brand. This was an addition to the list of facts about General Motors.
The 2-seater coupe format was best suited to the nature of the car as it allowed space for the big batteries. The motor inside produced a decent 137 horsepower from 7000-1000 rpm.
The GM EV1 was able to achieve a top speed of 129 kilometres per hour.
1997
The introduction of the Toyota Prius was a significant turning point in the production of hybrid cars. Toyota Prius was the first mass-produced hybrid car. Although hybrids were not all-electric cars, they could operate on both fuel and electric power.
The hybrid power system called THS(Toyota Hybrid System) had the electric motor, engine, and gearbox mounted transversely. The system drove the front wheels just like other conventional fuel engine cars. It had a top speed of 100 kilometres per hour.
The growing concern for carbon pollution and rising fuel prices made Toyota Prius a huge success. The benefits of hybrid cars were more prominent than ever.
2008
Tesla was founded in 2003, and its first vehicle went into production in 2008. The Tesla vehicles served as the pioneer in advanced electric vehicles.
Tesla Roadster was the first all-electric car that used lithium-ion batteries. The Roadster was also the first electric car with the ability to travel 320 kilometres per charge. The Tesla Roadster had an astonishing top speed of 200 kilometres per hour.
2010
Nissan launched its first electric car called Nissan Leaf. It was an all-electric car with zero tailpipe emissions. The car was equipped with 24 kWh lithium-ion batteries. It could also reach a top speed of 150 kilometres per hour.
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In the same year, Chevrolet, the automobile division of GM, launched the Chevy Bolt. A fully electric car with a gross battery capacity of 60 Kwh. Lithium-ion batteries were included in the car and it could reach a maximum speed of 145 kilometres per hour.
The Chevy Bolt was able to deliver to a driving range of over 200 miles on a single charge.
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THE NEW ERA OF ELECTRIC AND HYBRID CARS
In the years to come, electric vehicle innovation saw great heights and automobile companies started to manufacture electric vehicles of all kinds. The global focus on environment-friendly vehicles also played a role in the rise of electric vehicles.
Leading automobile manufacturers introduced a series of all-electric cars with modern specifications. Electric vehicles were seen as a measure to tackle climate control. The benefits of electric cars for the environment were hard to ignore.
Tesla has an all-electric car range. All the new models are launched with unique features. With technological advancements, Tesla cars also get an upgrade with every new model.
The Tesla 2021 models were the latest in line with their prestigious collection. Currently, there is a good number of Tesla charging stations in the UAE.
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Since the first hybrid car launch, Toyota has also introduced a wide range of hybrid and electric cars.
If you want to buy a Toyota, you can visit the used Toyota for sale in the UAE and select your ideal Toyota.
Other brands have not held back with Ford, Porsche, Volkswagen, and many other manufacturers introducing their electric vehicles. Plus, Jaguars has introduced the Jaguar Panthera EV platform, depicting the brand’s take on the latest technology.
The number of electric stations has also increased with increase in the usage of electric cars. The network of electric charging stations has expanded to over 325 across Dubai. This is all done to promote green transportation in the city.
This was your complete guide to the evolution of electric cars. The journey of electric cars has seen the shift from single non-chargeable batteries to multiple batteries. Chargeable lithium-ion batteries then entered the market and increased the mileage and efficiency of the cars.
The evolution of electric cars portrays that they are here to stay and will gain more users with time. The environment-friendly features of electric cars give them an edge over combustion engine cars.
If you are looking for an electric, hybrid or any other car, you can visit the used cars for sale in the UAE and choose your ideal car.
Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog for more information on the automobile industry.
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