There were 67 electric cars available between 1895 and 1925

[John1955]

4 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

EDIT: But don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to electric vehicles in principle. There's plenty of room for a rational mix of technologies to provide transportation. What I AM opposed to, however, is the ignorant insistence that electrics will solve everything and make the world all puppies and rainbows and unicorns.

LOL, that is very well stated. As I've previously posted, I believe there's a real future for electric vehicles, but they won't work just anywhere and for everything. But I also think it's possible that day could come when they would be able to. But it must be consumers who decide of their own free will, and not some government forcing them to. Some people think government is the solution for problems when government often IS the problem. 

Frankly, I can not foresee the day when NHRA drivers and fans will ever accept electric drag racing. And nor can I see where the money is supposed to come from to erect thousands and thousands of charging stations all over the country for electric vehicles. No, not from the government and how much will privately owned charging stations charge customers to recharge their vehicles? Those advocating a sudden and quick transition always avoid answering such questions. 

I sincerely hope that the future includes lots of electric vehicles, and plenty of solar and wind generated electricity. But, what about areas that don't get much sunlight or wind? In my area, an elaborate, large array of solar panels is in place at an industrial park and after five years, it has failed to pay the dividends they had hoped for. Long periods with little or no sunlight activated the automatic switch back to the traditional power lines. Rain, snow and ice also caused the solar array to fail as well. 

According to CSE Solar Solutions, to install an average solar panel array on a home costs  $15,000 to $25,000, that cost is before any tax credits and incentives. Keep in mind that "tax credits and incentives" also cost you money through higher income taxes and sales taxes to pay for them. And many solar panel installers and those making them in factories are paid near what some fast food workers are paid and are eligible for food stamps and other government assistance programs if they have dependents. 

That is not the case for current workers in the coal, oil and natural gas industries, they are well paid and don't want or need government assistance to pay their bills and feed their families. 
 

Edited April 24, 2021 by John1955

[Joe Handley]

23 hours ago, John1955 said:

I completely agree. In fact, there have already been several electric vehicles deliver packages to my home, not USPS though, but Amazon delivery vans. I assume that Amazon has charging stations at their hub which is near me. 

If it’s line the one near me, they have a good number of them, though I’ve yet to see the Rivian built vans around here yet.

[Richard Bartrop]

Getting back to "everything old is new again".

 

Walter Christie is probably better known for tank suspensions, and some monstrous FWD racers from the dawn of the 20th century, but around 1909 he came up with this design for a taxi.

What makes it noteworthy is that it was powered by a sideways mounted straight four driving the front wheels. Pretty much the same layout as the Mini 50 years later, and the prototype for almost every econobox on the planet.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

12 hours ago, Richard Bartrop said:

Getting back to "everything old is new again".

^ Ferdinand Porsche's first hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle. IC engine driving a generator to power electric hub motors. 1900 

He also designed a similar, but much larger, hybrid drive system applicable to military "road trains" and railway cars.

 

Edited April 26, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy
UPGRADED SITE NO LONGER DISPLAYS SOME COPY-PASTE PHOTOS

[peteski]

On 4/25/2021 at 10:47 PM, Richard Bartrop said:

Walter Christie is probably better known for tank suspensions, and some monstrous FWD racers from the dawn of the 20th century, but around 1909 he came up with this design for a taxi.

What makes it noteworthy is that it was powered by a sideways mounted straight four driving the front wheels. Pretty much the same layout as the Mini 50 years later, and the prototype for almost every econobox on the planet.

Christie also made fire engines wit a transverse-mounted engine, and front wheel drive.

[Danno]

Actually, Christie did not make fire engines.  J. Walter Christie made the tractors that were mated to existing, previously horse-drawn fire apparatus in order to bring internal combustion powered mechanization to the world of firefighting. The apparatus (such as the steam-powered pumper immortalized in the kit depicted in the illustration) were manufactured by someone else.

For example, the kit represents a "Metropolitan" steamer produced by the American Fire Engine Company of Cincinnati, OH which later evolved into the American LaFrance Company.  It is mated to a Christie tractor, which consisted of only two wheels/tires and had to be attached to some type of apparatus as it could not stand on its own.

The Christie tractors enabled fire departments to continue using various apparatus while phasing out the expensive and labor-intensive horse teams previously employed to pull pumpers, hose carts, ladder trucks and water towers to fires. 

Sidebar:  I work part-time at the National Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting. We have a 1904 "Metropolitan" that was built for the City of Reno - one of a matched pair. It is still in horse-drawn configuration.

We also have an 1897 Champion Water Tower built for the Toledo OH Fire Department. It was originally horse-drawn but was converted in 1915 with a Christie tractor. 

And, we have one of the original-issue MPC 1/12 built-ups (out of box) on display that was built by then-Senator Barry Goldwater and gifted to the owner of the museum, a good friend of his.

??

 

Edited April 27, 2021 by Danno