The push for electric cars is not something new, as demonstrated by a class of antique electric vehicles at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This group of eight early electrics shows that battery-powered cars go back as long as the auto industry itself.
Unfortunately, battery technology couldn’t keep pace with the rapid advancement in the range, efficiency, and affordability of gasoline power. By the end of the 1930s, electric vehicle production faded away.
But these early specimens survive to this day. Here are the eight cars that were on display on the lawn at Pebble Beach:
1896 Riker Electric Roadster
Hardly more than a single-seat cart, this 1898 Riker Electric Roadster is driven by a 3-horsepower motor and uses a tiller for steering. There are five batteries on board to store energy. It’s the brainchild of Andrew Lawrence Riker, an engineer also responsible for “Old 16,” a gas-powered Locomobile that won the Vanderbilt Cup in 1908. A.L. Riker founded the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and the car, once owned by legendary collector Bill Harrah, is now the property of Riker’s grandson, Richard.
1898 Riker Electric Phaeton
Originally used for racing, this early model was also A.L. Riker’s personal car. This electric phaeton won the first race sanctioned by the New York Racing Association in Newport, Rhode Island, and the first 50-mile race in the U.S. held on Long Island. It also made appearances at the 1898 Motor Carriage Exhibition in Boston as well the 1900 Paris Exhibition. For many years, it was part of the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Riker donated the car after selling his company in 1899 to Pope Manufacturing, which built the Columbia electric and gas vehicles.
1901 Columbia Mark XXXI Victoria Phaeton
The 1901 Columbia Mark XXXI put on a head-turning display by bringing along a charger with its plug. Unlike Tesla’s sleek Supercharger kiosks, this one has the look of a piece of equipment from Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory. The Columbia electric’s roots go back to Colonel Albert Pope and his bicycle company that also carried the Columbia name. In 1899, when Pope acquired Riker, he also merged with the Electric Vehicle Company of New York and formed Columbia Automobile located in Hartford, Connecticut. This particular model has a range of 40 to 45 miles and a top speed of 28 mph with three forward speeds and two speeds in reverse. It retailed for about $1,350.
1905 Columbia Mark XXXV Brougham
The 1905 Columbia Mark XXXV Brougham puts the carriage in horseless carriage. The high seating position of the chauffeur recalls an old stagecoach. The passengers ride in relative comfort in the enclosed cabin. Two electric motors on the rear axle drive the vehicle through ring gears. The massive 42-inch wheels are shod with solid rubber tires. The price when new was about $3,500.
1908 Bailey Electric Victoria Phaeton
Owned by the Larz Anderson Auto Museum outside of Boston, this 1908 Bailey Electric carries the nickname “The Good Fairy.” The museum’s motto for it is “Always Ready and Faithful.” It looks like a contemporary vehicle of its era with a steering wheel instead of a tiller. Powered by an Edison battery and General Electric motor, it possesses amazing range even by recent standards, with the ability to travel 100 to 150 miles between charges. This early electric made the 1,500-mile journey from Boston to New York and Chicago at an average speed of 21.5 mph. It uses a chain drive instead of gears and cost $2,400 when new.
1912 Baker Victoria
Another museum car, the 1912 Baker Victoria is part of the collection at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. This car was owned by First Lady Helen Taft, who traded in a 1909 model for it. The Baker remained with the White House through Calvin Coolidge’s administration. It was retired in 1928 and became part of the Ford museum’s collection. Steered by a tiller, the Baker Victoria had a top speed of 30 mph and a range of about 50 miles. The Cleveland-built Baker sold for about $2,300. In 1910, a Baker traveled 201 miles on a single charge, although at a speed of just 12 mph.
1912 Rauch & Lang TC4 Brougham
The 1912 Rauch & Lang TC4 won Best in Class honors during the show. The design of this vehicle is a tip-off that the Cleveland-based company was a maker of fine carriages. From 1905 to 1916 they produced automobiles. The Town Car Brougham design has the driver exposed to the elements, while the passengers ride in an opulent closed cabin. This particular car was owned at one time by Thomas Edison. It cost $3,800 new. An ad for the company at the time boasts “Whatever your ideas today, you are certain to come to the conclusion, sooner or later, that an enclosed automobile like the Rauch & Lang Electric combines all the desirable features and eliminates all the well-known annoyances and much of the expense incident to gasoline cars.” The company eventually merged with Baker to become Baker, Rauch & Lang.
1922 Milburn Light Electric 27L Carriage
The 1922 Millburn Light Electric looks every bit a contemporary automobile and shares a grille-less design similar to today’s EVs. Boasting an impressive range of 100 miles, the Millburn features roll-up windows, a coal-fired foot warmer, and room for five passengers. The 84-volt battery pack, which consists of 14 6-volt batteries, rides on rollers which make it easy to swap out for a fully charged array. The driver of the vehicle actually sat on the back seat controlling the car with a tiller, while the front passengers perched on rear-facing seats. It cost $1,685 when new. Toledo-based Millburn built about 4,000 cars between 1915 and 1923 when the company sold to General Motors.
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