"It may take years, but the battery-electric car will eventually be back_ stronger than ever..."
Chris Payne, dir. Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)''
Although the earliest efforts to develop electric vehicles were made in France and Britain, the honor of the first truly successful electric car goes to Scottish- born William Morrison in the United States.
Morrison's passion was in fact for storage batteries—he only built the car, a surrey-type high wheel carriage, to show off his latest battery. The battery holds the key to the success of any electric car, determining the speed and range of the vehicle. Morrison's car battery comprised twenty-four cells and contributed more than half of the total weight of the vehicle. It was claimed that the battery was capable of powering the vehicle for thirteen hours at speeds of up to 14miles (22.5 km) per hour on just one overnight charge. Though far superior to the other car batteries available, these statistics are disputed.
Morrison's car was first shown to the world in 1890 at the Seni Om Sed parade in Des Moines, Iowa, and in 1891 he received a patent for his battery. Morrison gave his designs to the American Battery Company, who used the car to bolster their battery sales, and showed the car at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.
By the mid-1930s electric cars had practically disappeared, having been replaced by the gas-powered vehicles that still predominate today. However, the car battery is still required for starting the engine.
