Electric Cars: The Comeback Story 200 Years in the Making

When you hear the term electric vehicle (EV) today, what pops into your head? Tesla? Sleek designs? Charging stations scattered across highways? That’s fair but guess what: the history of electric cars goes back almost 200 years. Yes, long before oil and gas-powered cars took over.

Surprised? You should be. EVs aren’t some futuristic trend despite what most people think. They’ve been around since the 1800s and their story is full of ups, downs and dramatic comebacks. So, how did we get from clunky battery carriages to today’s high-tech EVs? Let’s take a journey.

The Birth of Electric Cars (19th Century)

Did you know the history of EVs begins in the early 1800s? Inventors like Ányos Jedlik (1828) and Robert Anderson (1830s) built some of the first experimental electric motors and carriages. They were crude, sure - but they laid the groundwork for what was coming.

Then came the game-changer: batteries. In 1859, Gaston Planté invented the rechargeable lead-acid battery and in 1881, Camille Faure improved it, making EVs far more practical. Suddenly, electric vehicles weren’t just experiments but instead became machines people could actually use.

By 1884, Thomas Parker in the UK built the first real production electric car. And in the U.S., William Morrison’s six-passenger electric wagon wowed crowds at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The spark had truly been lit.

The First Electric Car Boom (1890s – 1935)

Here’s something most people don’t know: by 1900, nearly one-third of all vehicles on U.S. roads were electric. Why? Because they were quiet, clean and much easier to drive than noisy, crank-start gasoline cars.

Some visionaries, like Parker, even saw EVs as a way to fight pollution—decades before climate change was a global concern. Pretty forward-thinking, right?

But then came trouble. In 1908, the Ford Model T hit the roads, cheap and easy for the masses to buy. By 1912, the invention of the electric starter made gas cars more convenient. Add in cheap oil and gasoline cars took the lead. By the 1930s, EVs had almost vanished, surviving only in niches like delivery vehicles.

The Long Road Back (1950s – 2000s)

So, was that the end of the electric car? Not quite. Could a good idea really stay buried forever?

In the 1960s and 70s, environmental concerns and oil crises reignited interest. Automakers like General Motors toyed with EV concepts, and NASA even built an electric lunar rover for the Apollo missions - proof EVs could thrive even on the moon.

The real turning point, though, came with lithium-ion batteries in the 1980s and 90s. These were lighter, more powerful and finally gave EVs the chance to go the distance. One prototype, the AC Propulsion T-Zero, would later inspire a company you may have heard of—Tesla Motors.

Tesla and the New Electric Age (2010s – Present)

What if an EV wasn’t just practical, but also fun? Tesla answered that in 2008 with the launch of the Tesla Roadster. Fast, stylish and exciting. 

Then came the Model S and Tesla’s Supercharger network, bringing EVs into the mainstream. And Tesla wasn’t alone for long. Today, every major automaker - from Ford to Volkswagen is rolling out EVs. SUVs, trucks, sports cars - there’s an electric option for just about everything.

And innovation? It hasn’t slowed a bit. We’re talking solid-state batteries, wireless charging and even vehicle-to-grid technology, where your car can give power back to the grid.

The Future of Electric Vehicles

So, what’s next? The history of electric cars shows one thing clearly: this isn’t new technology, it’s a comeback story centuries in the making. Sure, challenges remain e.g. charging infrastructure, recycling and battery sustainability but the momentum is unstoppable.

EVs are no longer a niche experiment. They are the future of transportation.

So the next time you see a Tesla or any EV - glide silently down the road, ask yourself: are you looking at just another car or the continuation of a 200-year-old revolution?

References: 

Energy.gov (2014) History of the Electric Car. U.S. Department of Energy. Available at: https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car [Accessed 29 September 2025].

History Hit (2022) When Was the First Electric Car Made? History Hit. Available at: https://www.historyhit.com/when-was-the-first-electric-car-made [Accessed 29 September 2025].

Iberdrola (n.d.) The History of the Electric Car. Iberdrola. Available at: https://www.iberdrola.com/sustainability/history-electric-car [Accessed 29 September 2025].

National Grid (2023) The Surprisingly Long History of Electric Vehicles. National Grid. Available at: https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/journey-to-net-zero-stories/surprisingly-long-history-electric-vehicles [Accessed 29 September 2025].

Pod Point (2023) The 200-Year History of Electric Vehicles. Pod Point. Available at: https://pod-point.com/guides/the-200-year-history-of-electric-vehicles [Accessed 29 September 2025].

Ran When Parked (2021) Who Made the First Electric Car? Ran When Parked. Available at: https://ranwhenparked.net/first-electric-car [Accessed 29 September 2025].