1904 Pope Waverley Electric

Did you know that electric cars were already invented in the 1800s? Tesla wasn't the first electric car, and it won't be the last. Early electric cars like this one were very popular in cities with paved roads. They were easy to start, easy to operate and easy to maintain. Professionals like doctors and lawyers liked them, and so did women. Unlike gasoline-powered cars, which required a hand crank to get them started (and sometimes caused injuries in doing so), electric cars didn't require a crank to start. But they did need an overnight charge, and they could only go about 50 miles.

Imagine a city with lots and lots of little cars like this buzzing around. New York City even had a whole fleet of taxi cabs that were electric vehicles! They were very, very popular in the early 1900s, and they are popular still today. More and more people are choosing to buy electric cars in our country and around the world because they don't burn fossil fuels or contribute to air pollution. In the near future, it is likely that only electric cars will be produced, and some countries have already created legislation toward that end. The Pope Waverley electric car was ahead of its time, a forerunner to modern, clean transportation!