Member-only story
Sparking life into the UK market
The UK wants to ban the sales of new petrol / diesel cars by 2030 and make all new car sales electric. Surprisingly enough, electric vehicles are nothing new.
The first electric car sold in the UK was made by Thomas Parker in 1884. He was also responsible for electrifying the London Underground and Blackpool’s electric trams.
He was also concerned about the effect of fossil fuels on the environment.
In 1897, Walter Bursey, an electrical engineer designed and introduced a fleet of battery powered taxis to London. They had a top speed of 9–12 mph. However, due to various mechanical problems they ceased running after two years.
In 1901 a certain Ferdinand Porsche (yes, the same one) developed the world’s first hybrid car, driven by a petrol engine and electricity stored in a battery.
Following on from this, electric cars became more common and were seen as the future of the car industry. Their competitors were steam powered vehicles (which needed to raise steam before moving) and the early internal combustion engines, which were seen as dirty, unreliable and difficult to operate.
The initial success of electric cars was short-lived, however, with the development of the road network and consequent range problems. Electric…
