In 1898, Thomas Edison developed an alkaline battery using iron for the negative terminal and nickel oxide for the positive terminal. The electrolyte, a solution that conducts electricity, was potassium hydroxide, similar to today's nickel-cadmium and alkaline batteries. The cells were well suited to industrial and railway use.
Thomas Edison next to a Model T Ford
Although Edison had a close friendship with Henry Ford, Edison believed in electric cars. He promoted electric cars as cleaner, quieter and easier to drive than gasoline-powered automobiles.
The company was the battery supplier to S.R. Bailey & Company which only manufactured electric automobiles. The company built these automobiles at their Amesbury, Massachusetts factory from 1907 to 1915. Their showcase model was the Bailey electric Phaeton. It was presented as a vehicle that could travel 100 miles (160 km) on a full charge at a speed of 40 km/h in ideal conditions.
This was very impressive since electric cars at that time had a very limited range per battery charge. The only type of battery already patented and commercialized at the time was the lead acid battery, while one of Edison's goals was to create a Nickel-Alkaline battery that was more compact and lighter, much more reliable, less dangerous, less heavy than lead batteries and able to last up to 30 years, but it never managed to successfully complete its patent and was much more expensive. Edison's problems are exactly the same as those faced by engineers past and present. The cost and efficiency of batteries have made electric cars very expensive.
On September 17, 1910, they competed with gasoline cars in the challenge: The 1,000 Mile Endurance Race. The tour began at the Touring Club of America located on Broadway and 76th Street with a final climb to Mount Washington before returning home. The Bailey made its first battery charge at Waterbury Conn.
Thomas Edison with his electric car in 1910
By the 3rd night the Bailey had reached Manchester taking on the challenge of the Peru Mountains with rough roads and heavy inclines. Their gasoline competitors made fun of the small electric car, claiming that they would never complete the race. But the electric car did it.
The Bailey passed through Clairmont and Newport NH with an overnight stop in Plymouth to reload. They arrived at the Mount Washington Hotel in Breton Woods only slightly late than scheduled.
After a rest at Breton Woods, the cars were prepared for their climb to the summit of Mount Washington at 6,000 feet above sea level. It was an incredible site to see the electric car with only 2 ½ horsepower
The New York Times exclaimed in wonder at the battery that powered these cars. “It seems incredible that the power of hydrocarbons can be replaced by an invisible force capable of being stored in these small steel drums. >>
Unfortunately, electricity couldn't keep up, with more powerful gasoline cars ultimately winning the race. Bailey ended production of the electric automobile and Edison also turned to other technologies. However, Edison always retained his own Bailey. It can still be seen today at the Thomas Edison Museum in West Orange, NJ.
Electric cars date back to the dawn of the electric motor, when Hungarian inventor Ányos Jedlik installed his 1827 “lightning magnetic auto-rotor” on a toy car. But it wasn't until the 1880s that electric vehicles really started to gain traction. It was thanks to the electric tram that its speed gave many people their first taste of rapid transit, while large crowds in cars sparked interest in personal transportation. The main beneficiary was the newly developed safety bicycle, but much of the technology developed for trams – motors, control systems and batteries – could also be adapted to smaller vehicles.
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