So That Was Progress?
The Roberts Electric Car was built in 1896, 13 years before even Henry Ford’s famous Model T, and it got, using only the lead-acid batteries of the late 19th century, 40 miles per charge. This is the same range as that which is advertised for Chevy’s $32,000 Volt which cost nearly $750 million for them to develop.
Roberts Electric Car Circa 1896 – 40 Mile Range
Slightly later, in 1914, the Anderson Electric Car Company in Detroit, MI was producing electric cars using Edison’s nickel-iron batteries with a confirmed range of 80 miles per charge, twice that of the car which GM Dan Akerson called “not a step forward, but a leap forward.”
Anderson Electric Car Circa 1914 – 80 Mile Range
So the Volt was progress? No. The abject and pathetic travesty that is the Obama-approved “Great Leap Forward” in green engineering, the now defunct Chevy Volt was not progress in anything other than gross stupidity compounded by government intervention.
Chevy Volt Circa 2012 – 40 Mile Range
If one wants to look at progress in electric vehicles one might consider looking at Dave Cloud, an electric vehicle hobbyist who designed and built his Dolphin for just $3000 using reclaimed car parts and COTS equipment. His Dolphin has a range of 200 miles on a single charge with a speed of 60-65 mph for 85% of those miles.
Dave Cloud’s Dolphin Circa 2004 – 200 Mile Range
Admittedly, Cloud’s Dolphin is not truly practical for normal driving. Yet, what could someone like Dave Cloud design and build if given a fraction of the $750 million that GM wasted on the Volt?
Of course, between the actions and demand of the UAW and the restrictive regulations of the federal government, even if Mr. Cloud got access to funding it’d be unlikely that he could bring anything to market that was anywhere near as good as what he’s already designed.
Tags: Autos | Chevy | Electric Cars | GM | Politics | Society | Technology | Volt
May 19th, 2018 at 8:59 pm
My wife’s great grandfather was the builder of the 1896/1897 Roberts Electric. We would love to see it some day. Do you know who owns it or where it might be. We have original folders that we could scan and give copies to the owner. Thanks
May 20th, 2018 at 8:51 am
Try contacting David Traver Adolphus – dadolphus@hemmings.com – since he’s done pictures of them. You might also contact the Rhode Island Historical Society – http://www.rihs.org/ – since the cars were made in RI.