Electric cars are becoming more and more common throughout the UK. This will only increase further as we get closer to the UK government's 2030 deadline on new petrol and diesel cars. However, the concept of an electric car is not new. In fact, the first electric car created in the world was in 1884 by the American Thomas Parker.
Thomas Parker was an inventor who lived in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire.
Parker’s electric car was built using a single-speed direct-current motor. It featured two 10-inch by 6-inch wheels and it weighed only 150 pounds (68 kg). However, there were many issues with these cars that meant they were not widely adopted. For example, they could only travel for about 20 miles or around 15-20 minutes before needing to be recharged.
The first modern electric car was the RAV4 EV, which was introduced by Toyota in 1996. The RAV4 EV had a range of 100 miles (160 km) per charge and could reach speeds up to 75 mph (120 km/h). Of course, today's electric vehicles greatly surpass the RAV4 in terms of range and power.
The most popular EV in the world right now is the Tesla Model 3 with 480 horsepower, followed by the Nissan Leaf with a top speed of up to 98mph.
We have come a long way since 1884! If your business follows in the footsteps of Thomas Parker by switching to an electric fleet, get in touch with Charge And Recharge today to get your own commercial car chargers on your business premises.