Way Back Wednesday: Electric Cars Are Older Than You Think

Cleveland, Ohio is Home to First Electric Cars

Since the invention of the electric motor, many people have dreamed of and engineered electric vehicles. The first electric motor was invented in 1834 by Thomas Davenport in Vermont. He dreamed of electric trains and cars, but his inventions failed due to the poor quality of early batteries.

However, by 1887 in Cleveland, Ohio, the Baker Motor Vehicle Company developed an electric vehicle capable of traveling 100 miles on one battery charge at a consistent speed of 22 MPH. By 1900, 38% of U.S. automobiles were electric. Baker merged with another Cleveland automaker, Rauch and Lang, when together they created the Owen Magnetic. The Owen Magnetic was a brand of hybrid electric luxury cars built between 1915 and 1922 in Cleveland. However, the Baker Motor Vehicle Company switched its focus to war goods manufacturing beginning in 1918.

Northeast Ohio has been the home of much advancement in the automotive industry including electric vehicles. If you drive a hybrid or electric vehicle, it can be serviced at Rad Air Complete Car Care and Tire Centers by one of our Cleveland Hybrid service specialists.