The remarkable development of electric vehicles over the past few decades is partly the result of larger capacity batteries and more efficient car models but is also due to the work that has gone into expanding the accessibility of charging infrastructure.
Whilst the development of exceptional new cars with greater ranges and speeds has been important, being able to feel comfortable about charging them without the fear of range anxiety is down to the work of electricians who have taken dedicated courses to install charging stations at home and on public roads.
This was something missing during the last serious attempt to have an EV revolution, during one of the most fraught periods in the history of motoring that seemed to suggest the hint of a possible future that ultimately never happened.
Beyond A Proof Of Concept
The first potential EV future came at the dawn of the car itself, with the Baker Electric of 1899 and several other models finding a degree of popularity during a time when cars were not expected to travel too far beyond city limits.
However, once the Model T Ford became popular due to being able to drive for distances that electric vehicles of the time simply could not, the concept faded in popularity, particularly since many of the environmental consequences of petrol and diesel motoring were not fully appreciated until their effects became very clear.
In 1973, an oil embargo led to a widespread energy crisis as the cost of oil soared to then-unprecedented heights, something that hit the motoring industry particularly hard.
From the start of the OPEC oil embargo until 1984, the United States car industry went through what has since been dubbed the Malaise Era, where a series of regulations to increase fuel economy, cut emissions and increase safety standards came in at the same time.
Whilst other countries dealt with similar issues, they also had a small car culture that the US did not at the time and more easily adapted.
It also opened the door for experimentation into cars that not only were economical with their petrol use but did not use any at all.
There was the Enfield 8000, a Greek-British small electric car decades ahead of its time but thwarted by inefficiencies and high costs.
Alongside that was the unusual Zagato Zele, created by a design house generally known for styling fast sporty cars. This was the opposite of that, but it did manage to sell roughly 500 units during its two-year production run.
Finally, there was the CitiCar, the first notable success for an electric vehicle. It sold by the thousands but also created the reputation that EVs were not “real” cars. Instead, they were unusual vehicles driven to save fuel so a car owner could use their actual petrol vehicle at the weekend.
However, it did look like there was a potential future for EVs as a small personal mobility transport, but as petrol prices reduced the enthusiasm for EVs dwindled, and the notable failure of the Sinclair C5 in 1985 created a stigma for EVs until the late 2000s.