New York was the kingdom of electric cars in 1890!

In the 1800s, electric cars dominated gasoline-powered cars on the streets of New York City, but that didn’t last long.

You may not have known this, but electric cars already existed in the years 1800. In any case, they were mostly present in the United States, mainly in the streets of New York.

The reign of electric taxis in New York

Between 1890 and 1900, the streets of Manhattan in New York were mostly filled with electric cars. At the time, combustion cars were even less popular than electric ones. The cause is the world’s first electric taxi company and its well-known vehicle: theElectrobat. This vehicle was developed by Henry Morris et Pedro Salom in 1894. He weighed a little more thana ton and was pushed by a lead-acid battery.

Its range is not comparable to today’s electric cars, but the Electrobat could still travel 40 km in one charge. Needless to say, vehicles of the time were still quite slow, this one did not exceed the 25 km/h.

This innovative vehicle for the time quickly gained in popularity. Its inventors decided to to rent out rather than sell them, and their strategy paid off. Their company exceeded one hundred cars in 1899. It was also aboard this “bolide” that Jacob German became the first driver to be sanctioned for speeding while driving at a speed of 19 km/h.

The Electrobat stood out for its system of battery change very practical. So much so that mechanics could change a battery in just three minutes.

A revolutionary idea that declined in just a few years

However, the company’s expansion outside of New York has been poorly managed and one scandal finally broke out. It was reported that the company had obtained a loan illegally. Following this, the investors fled and the company went bankrupt a few years later. This era of electric taxis has definitely ended with the advent of petrol taxis and especially following the banking panic of 1907.

In the end, it is only 100 years later that electric taxis have made a comeback on New York City roads. The Electrobat seemed ahead of its time, but financial disasters and suspicious behavior prevented the first electric taxis from maintaining their position.

While electric vehicles have been increasingly present on our roads for several years, no one yet knows what will happen in the next century. Maybe we will return to gasoline, or maybe someone will have found a new fuel more ecological.