the electric
ride
BATTERY-POWERED WHIPS MIGHT SEEM
LIKE NOVEL ADDITIONS TO YOUR LOCAL
THOROUGHFARES, BUT THEY’VE ACTUALLY
BEEN AROUND FOR MORE THAN A
CENTURY. THIS IS HOW THE CARS HAVE
PROGRESSED, FROM BUGGY TO PICKUP.
BYSARA KILEY WATSON
TIMELINE
1914
Detroit Electric 47
The model 47, made by
the Anderson Electric
Car Company, could start
instantly without the
hand- cranking its
combustion- driven
cousins required. Thomas
Edison piloted one of
these, as did Henry Ford’s
wife. The car promised a
respectable 80 miles
of range per charge.1890s
William Morrison’s ride
Scotland-native William
Morrison was one of the
first inventors to create
an electric vehicle for
America’s streets.
Twenty- four batteries
under the seats provided
the carriage with just
4 horsepower and a top
speed of 20 mph as it
rolled on steel-clad
wooden wheels.1967
Ford Comuta
The first gas-free
Mustang may have de-
buted in 2019, but Ford’s
earlier EV was cuter: a
7-foot-long conveyance
that could reach a maxi-
mum speed of 40 mph,
travel for 40 miles per
charge, and seat a family
of four (snugly). Power
came from four 12-volt
lead-acid packs.1970s
The Sebring-Vanguard
The cheese- block-
shaped two-seater held
the title of most pro-
duced electric vehicle in
American history for
four decades. It housed
eight 6-volt golf-cart
batteries, but with its
lightweight frame, it could
run for some 35 miles
after one serving of
electrons from the grid.1996
GM EV1
General Motors
envisioned its EV1 as a
regular commuter car,
and not just a niche op-
tion. To offset the heft of
its lead-acid power units,
the automaker con-
structed it with plastic
body panels and an alu-
minum frame. GM made
only about 1,100, which
customers had to lease.2008
Tesla Roadster
This sleek two-seater
kicked off the era of
lithium- ion power. The
6,831 cells weighed some
700 pounds but helped
push the ride from zero
to 60 in four seconds and
gifted it with a range of
245 miles. To keep those
elements cool, an
antifreeze- like solution
flowed around them.2010
Nissan Leaf
For a quarter the price of
the Roadster, the Leaf
promised 100 miles from
its 192 lithium- ion cells.
Nissan styled it to look
more like a regular car
and less like other green
options on the market. Its
bulging headlamps man-
aged airflow, limiting
wind noise in the ab-
sence of engine sounds.2018
Rivian R1T and R1S
This pickup and SUV
(not shown) both use
the same modular,
skateboard-like chassis;
it holds the vehicles’ four
motors, shielded
batteries, and power-
management system.
The configuration allows
the freedom to include
features such as a mobile
kitchen, for camping.40 SPRING 2020 / POPSCI.COM
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