The Mystery of the Electric Car circa 1912

[bookitty]

While thumbing through a 1912 edition of the Fine Arts Journal I came across an interesting ad. My first thought was that it was a horse coach but the text made it clear that it was electric.

OK, it's very pretty but the how the heck did it work? Where is the steering, where are the brakes, who is the driver?

The photo is from this link:
http://americanroadmagazine.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=691 which discusses the ad as it was seen in an 1912 edition of American Motorist. They've done a great job of tracking down the company but there are scarce technical details.

The copy I have is selling it as an addition vehicle for the use of wife and daughter. One of the selling points states "Relieves you, on occasion of the presence of a chauffeur - and makes life more endurable for him."

[LTC8K6]

Cars back then often used just a tiller for steering.

[bookitty]

Cars back then often used just a tiller for steering.

I'm sorry, I don't have quite enough technical knowledge to apply this. Care to explain in more detail?

[LTC8K6]

It's the same type of steering that's on small boats. Just a lever that you move left or right.

A car with a tiller.

http://www.ausbcomp.com/~bbott/cars/oldolds.jpg

[bruto]

rather than try to explain the tiller, it's easier to find a picture with the tiller visible. Here's a link to a picture of an old Duryea automobile whose tiller is easier to see:

http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=4937


There were a number of electric cars made in the early days of automobiles, when people didn't expect to go a great distance fast, and reliability was an issue with gas engines. An electric would trundle along silently and reliably for a reasonable number of miles at the kind of speeds common then. Of course one also did not to worry about heat, power accessories, lights, etc. as we do now. Battery technology of the time made it difficult to keep with other powerplants once speeds and distances increased, and even now it's still a problem.

[bookitty]

rather than try to explain the tiller, it's easier to find a picture with the tiller visible. Here's a link to a picture of an old Duryea automobile whose tiller is easier to see:

http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=4937


There were a number of electric cars made in the early days of automobiles, when people didn't expect to go a great distance fast, and reliability was an issue with gas engines. An electric would trundle along silently and reliably for a reasonable number of miles at the kind of speeds common then. Of course one also did not to worry about heat, power accessories, lights, etc. as we do now. Battery technology of the time made it difficult to keep with other powerplants once speeds and distances increased, and even now it's still a problem.

Perfect. That does explain it, thank you.

It also explains how visibility doesn't seem to be a great concern. If you're trundling along, keeping pace with horse drawn carriages, peering between the heads of your fellow passengers wouldn't be as dangerous.

[quarky]

I can't wait for my electric robotic horse. I miss going slowly.

[arthwollipot]

I had a ride in one of those at the Electric Vehicle Show back in September. It was a Detroit model roadster, circa 1917, and in excellent condition.

[Soapy Sam]

I can't wait for my electric robotic horse. I miss going slowly.
Move to London.

[kookbreaker]

Old Rhinebeck has a 1911 model. I've seen this thing move. Not exactly speed demons.

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2006/07/page/2/

Electric cars were sold as ladies cars as they needed very little maintenance. Wheras most combustion cars needed almost constant work at the time.

[Scott Haley]

In 1899, a New York cab driver using an electric car as a taxi became the first car driver to get a citation for speeding. The crazy guy was going twelve miles an hour!http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/05/dayintech_0521

[steve s]

Jay Leno has an old electric car. He said that they were marketed to women since they didn't need to have the engine cranked.

Steve S

[bruto]

Actually, the first land speed records, including the first vehicle ever to go over 60 miles an hour, were made by electric vehicles. Of course they didn't need much range.

[Speedskater]

By 1904 the Baker Electric car was in production.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Motor_Vehicle

As a small boy I met Walter Baker.

[steve s]

By 1904 the Baker Electric car was in production.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Motor_Vehicle

As a small boy I met Walter Baker.

Here's Jay's 1909 Baker.

O9vC3S8MJPY

Steve S