ARE ELECTRIC CARS HERE TO STAY ? BY SIYA MULGE
With the global threats of termination of oils, technology gives a majority of its attention at finding alternatives to sustain the standard of living without any sort of compensation. One such product of this contemplation is the electric car. Yep, they are as cool as they sound.
The first electric car was created by Robert Anderson in 1838. At least this is what is commonly thought.
The first electric vehicle was actually built by Thomas Davinport in 1835. Something amusing: this electric car came even before the gasoline-based vehicles, which came in the 1870s. Of course, we didn’t have chargers then, so what exactly was the model? He used crude oil in the form of electrical energy, for which he invented a battery himself.
Other car models came in, but they were proven very inconvenient. For example, the steam cars were quite popular in the 1900s, but were extremely noisy and shaky. It took a lot of time and manpower to start the steam engine car, which nobody really wanted. This is when the electric car rose to power. With the relative convenience it provided, it was preferred by most people for personal transport. The electric car trend rose so much during this era, that Thomas Edison and Ferdinand Porsche dedicated their complete time to develop the best electric car possible. What was the product of the two great inventors working together? Of course, the first Porsche ever made, they name it the Lohner Porscher in 1901. Look me in the eye and tell me you knew this. The ultra-beautiful beast was once electric? Mind blown! Despite the features and hard work of decades, the Porsche saw failure as it was seen as a luxury, only for the rich, and given the economic condition of the time, it was sure a product owned by only a few. As you see, the model kind of stood true to its name, a loner.
Just as quickly as they rose, electric cars fell with a hard blow; giving birth to the mass production of assembly- line car, the Ford. Henry Ford produced his cars to such a massive extent that it not only reduced the cost, but provided employment, balanced the demand and supply and revolutionized car production with his model.
As electric cars lost face for over half a century, they were brought back in 1977 owing to the extreme rise in petrol prices. The oil price problem was so alarming, that General motors spent $20 Million (Approx. $134.8 million today) only on research for electric cars. It wasn’t until 1996 that these cars were available for public use. These cars were available only for a few cities in the US like California, Philadelphia, etc. when they first came out. They were quiet, fast, produced no exhaust and were very smooth to drive. most importantly, they ran with no gasoline at all, making them a big hit. Again, in the late 1990s, electric cars died. Why? Meh. The manufacturers lost interest (Did you just remember your assignment? I did too.). Just like we get frustrated with our assignments and crush the paper into the ball, the manufacturers literally crushed all the electric cars produced on a large scale.
In 2003, California declared the ‘ZEV Act’ which was basically the zero emission act, which was the result from the pressure and oil makers industries. Many documentaries and movies on electric vehicles then came out which rose the general interest of the public in electric cars. This is when we see the resurrection of electric cars like our very dear Tesla and BMW i3.
Now in 2021, the electric car trend has risen so much, that almost every car manufacturer makes it a point to have its own electric car. Not long ago, TATA announced that Jaguar will be all electric from 2025.
With electric vehicles on lands of Earth, Moon and Mars; electric cars have sure set their roots deep now.
So, in the end, what do you think? Will your next car be electric or will the history keep repeating itself?
Referral Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlMFLPGUiQE
