Electric cars are more than a century old: experiments date to the 19th century, and practical electric road vehicles were in use before gasoline cars became dominant. But there is no single agreed “first” electric car. A small experimental model, a rechargeable vehicle, a practical passenger wagon and a commercial taxi each mark a different milestone.
Why “the first electric car” depends on what counts
“It’s hard to pinpoint the invention of the electric car to one inventor or country,” the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) wrote in its 2014 historical overview. The answer changes depending on whether the question means a small working model, a vehicle able to carry people, a rechargeable road vehicle or a commercially used car.
That distinction matters for the title’s list of ten: the historical sources establish a meaningful timeline and several named examples, but they do not adequately document ten separate models and dates. Rather than pad the count with generic milestones or turn disputed “firsts” into settled fact, the examples below identify exactly what each source supports.
Early electric-vehicle milestones
| Date | Example or development | What the evidence establishes |
|---|---|---|
| 1828 | Ányos Jedlik’s small model vehicle | The National Motor Museum describes a small-scale experiment, not a practical road car. National Motor Museum |
| Around 1832 | Robert Anderson’s crude electric vehicle | The DOE attributes an early crude vehicle to Anderson, while noting that practical electric cars came later. U.S. Department of Energy |
| 1880 | Gustave Trouvé’s motorized James Starley tricycle | The National Motor Museum describes it as an early rechargeable electric vehicle. National Motor Museum |
| 1888 | An electric vehicle in the Louwman Museum’s account | The museum presents its vehicle as the first electric vehicle. That claim differs from other milestones and depends on the definition of “first.” Louwman Museum |
| 1891 | William Morrison’s six-passenger electric wagon | The Library of Congress (LOC) says it is often considered the first practical electric vehicle in the United States. “Often considered” and “in the United States” are important qualifications. Library of Congress |
| 1897 | Electric cabs in New York | The LOC timeline records 12 electric cabs operating in New York, evidence of commercial use rather than just experimentation. Library of Congress |
| 1898 | Porsche P1 | The DOE dates the P1 to 1898. U.S. Department of Energy |
| 1898 | Lohner-Porsche Mixte | The DOE describes the Mixte as the world’s first hybrid electric car. This is the DOE’s characterization, not a reconciliation of every competing “first” claim. U.S. Department of Energy |
Electric cars were more than experiments by the 1890s
In the United States, electric vehicles entered public and commercial life before gasoline cars became dominant. LOC dates a competitive period between electric and gasoline cars from 1897 to 1913, and records 12 electric cabs in New York in 1897. The cabs demonstrate that electric vehicles were being used for paid transport, not simply displayed as prototypes.
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At the turn of the century, electric cars reached what the DOE calls their heyday: around one third of vehicles on the road were electric, according to its 2014 overview. That is an approximate share of vehicles on the road, not a claim about one third of new-car sales.
Why gasoline cars overtook electric cars
Electric cars lost ground through several changes that reinforced one another. Gasoline vehicles became easier to operate with electric starters; mass production made them more widely available; and they were better suited to longer trips in places where electricity and charging were less accessible.
- Easier starting: The DOE identifies the gasoline car’s electric starter, discussed in connection with 1912, as a factor in electric cars’ decline. The Smithsonian also describes gasoline manufacturers adding electric starting and lighting. DOE; Smithsonian
- Mass production: Lowering the barriers to getting a gasoline car helped it reach more buyers.
- Range and infrastructure: Gasoline cars had an advantage for longer-distance travel where electricity and charging were less available.
What this history says about modern EVs
Electric cars did not begin with today’s battery technology. Their history stretches from small 19th-century experiments through rechargeable vehicles, practical passenger wagons and commercial taxis. The key takeaway is not that one inventor definitively built the first electric car, but that electric propulsion was explored early and became a practical, commercially used alternative before gasoline cars came to dominate.
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