1910 Tesla?

[Jim Bow]

BE010A0C-91CC-4573-9849-5002194C4987.jpg

[ron ll]

Electric cars are far from new.

[hawkeye54]

Google 'Baker Electric car' - Jay Leno has one, I believe




Rick

[Gerarddm]

What was the range on those puppies?

[Garret]

Ha! Tom Swift. My dad had the complete series which I read avidly - though it sure was dated. I then read most all of the Tom Swift Jr. series. Far from great literature, but they sure did expand the imagination.

[Dan McCosh]

What was the range on those puppies?

The Detroit Electric topped out at about 200 miles, with the optional Edison battery, in 1905.

[birlinn]

1902 Baker Electric racer.
Was doing over 100 mph before its accident- narrow tyres and tram tracks contributed.
The two occupants survived, as it had seat belts (in 1902!) but two spectators were killed.

baker.jpg

[birlinn]

And the grand-daddy of them all- Camille Jenatzy's 'Le Jamais Contente' of 1899.
Did 105 kmh (65 mph)
They tried streamlining the car, but forgot about the driver!

Jamais_contente.jpg

[Dan McCosh]

Electric cars were the first to top 60 mph, and held land-speed records until the 1926 Stanley Steamer hit 126 mph. The two technologies both produced their maximum torque at a standstill. The electric car issue was the mass of the battery, which didn't change much until the 1960s, when it was cut in half, than in half again, making it roughly four times more efficient today than in 1900. Meanwhile, the ICE went from the Wright brothers flight to putting a man on the moon, with the land speed record slightly over mach one.

[birlinn]

I think you are a bit out with those figures, as Hemery's 200 hp V-8 Darracq did 108 mph in 1905, followed by Marriott's Stanley Steamer with 121 mph in 1906.
I believe that was the last non-IC engined record until the jet and gas turbine powered era.
In 1925, Malcolm Campbell held the record at 150 mph with Bluebird, his 350 hp Sunbeam.
The fastest man in 1926 was Parry Thomas, with his Liberty engined 'Babs', and a speed of 171 mph.

[bluedog225]

6762534[/URL]]The Detroit Electric topped out at about 200 miles, with the optional Edison battery, in 1905.

We suck.

[Dan McCosh]

I think you are a bit out with those figures, as Hemery's 200 hp V-8 Darracq did 108 mph in 1905, followed by Marriott's Stanley Steamer with 121 mph in 1906.
I believe that was the last non-IC engined record until the jet and gas turbine powered era.
In 1925, Malcolm Campbell held the record at 150 mph with Bluebird, his 350 hp Sunbeam.
The fastest man in 1926 was Parry Thomas, with his Liberty engined 'Babs', and a speed of 171 mph.

I meant to say 1906, not 1926, for the steam record. I've seen various speeds for the steam record, dunno which is accurate. Might note that an Indy car was supposed to achieve 145 mph or so in the 1960s. Land speed records are limited by a place to run them, since at 400 mph or so, you run out of room while still accelerating.