Ford Has Everything Already Thought Out for Us Collectors

Rockauto's newsletter has a timely trivia and article for our discussion here. I haven't had time to read it yet, so I don't know what it has to say.

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RockAuto November Newsletter

The linked article: THE RISE & FALL OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN 1828–1930: LESSONS LEARNED
IEEE Xplore Full-Text PDF:
 
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Rockauto's news letter has a timely trivia and article for our discussion here. I haven't had time to read it yet, so I don't know what it has to say.

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RockAuto November Newsletter

The linked article: THE RISE & FALL OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN 1828–1930: LESSONS LEARNED
IEEE Xplore Full-Text PDF:
Great article, I scanned it quickly. Below are some of interesting highlights. This further affirms what I stated previously: If Ford had applied their economies of scale to the manufacture of EVs in the early 1900s, and if they had encouraged the development of charging infrastructure (or battery swapping service) as they apparently did for gas stations, history may have turned out very differently for EVs between then and now.

Electric cars were often marketed as suitable vehicles for female drivers due to the ease of operation; in fact, early electric cars were stigmatized by the perception that they were ‘‘women’s cars,’’ leading some companies to affix radiators to the front to disguise the car’s propulsion system.

While basic electric cars cost under $1000 (roughly $28 000 today), most early EVs were massive, ornate carriages designed for the upper-class customers that made them popular. They featured luxurious interiors, replete with expensive materials, and averaged $3000 (roughly $84 000 today). Sales of electric cars peaked in 1912.

Electric vehicles’ popularity declined due to the following reasons. By the 1920s, the United States had an improved road system that connected different cities, bringing with it the need for longer range vehicles. The discovery of Texas crude oil reduced the price of gasoline so that it was affordable to the average consumer. The invention of the electric starter by Charles Kettering in 1912 eliminated the need for the hand crank. The initiation of mass production of ICEVs by Henry Ford made these vehicles widely available and affordable in the $500–1000 price range. By contrast, the price of the less efficiently produced electric vehicles continued to rise. In 1912, an electric roadster sold for $1750, while a gasoline car sold for $650.

Eventually, the expense of running an electric vehicle versus a gas-powered car became a decisive blow to the EV. Henry Ford’s gas-powered cars had a relatively low cost compared to EVs. Recharging lead-acid batteries cost roughly 20 cents per kilowatt hour (about $2.07 today), compared with filling up with five cents a gallon gas back then.

It is essential to note that when Henry Ford developed the first cars, they were not reliable and there were no gas stations, but he was very devoted to improving their performance, reducing their cost, and negotiating with oil companies to build the gas station infrastructure and to establish the maintenance service network. The philosophy of the availability of good product, good infrastructure, and good business model to achieve affordable cost, convenience of use, and energy savings remains valid.
 
Great article, I scanned it quickly. Below are some of interesting highlights. This further affirms what I stated previously: If Ford had applied their economies of scale to the manufacture of EVs in the early 1900s, and if they had encouraged the development of charging infrastructure (or battery swapping service) as they apparently did for gas stations, history may have turned out very differently for EVs between then and now.
Or if GM didn't gut the entire countries electric street car infrastructure...
 
I'm generally not "into" pre WWII vehicles, although there are some beautiful cars from that period, this Cad being a rather standard car to me, but the mechanical simplicity, detail and materials used produced some beautiful engine bays back then. :thumbsup:
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Hell we're talking some pre WWI vehicles here... bet some of these still have ash wood frames. Brass and copper is pretty when shiny... but was used because that's what they could cheaply make work at the time. IDK the history of machining steel and aluminum parts well enough to list the reasons why, but iron, brass and copper were the materials of the day... and really low compression ratio's to allow for the poor fuel quality and developing combustion camber designs.

I don't want to glamorize the second great war, but that's the one which made so many mechanical advances for ICE engines and fuel quality... the machinery of that war is fascinating and amazing how many newer "discoveries/inventions" were actually put into practice then... even aviation was piston engines until the very end.
 
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