Some EV History

WOW
“MARSHALL FIELD & CO Give Up Horse Delivery! 
They have sounded the death knell of the horse. Electric Delivery Wagons can do the work of horses better, quicker and cheaper.”

“Electric Delivery Pays Best – Saves 10% to 25%”

“You are looking for an automobile that will give you ease and dignity with economy” 

What am I talking about? Well EV pros and newbies settle in for a fun read!

A man who used to work for International Harvester came to our EV showcase event yesterday and brought with him a book titled The Electric Vehicle Handbook… copyright 1913!
So to all who think #electricvehicles are new let’s look at some History!

The handbook was authored by H.C. Cushing Jr. a Fellow of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (Now IEEE) and co-authored by Frank W. Smith who was at the time the VP Electric Vehicle Association of America and VP of the United Electric Light and Power Company, NY. 

United Electric Power and Light was mentioned so many times that I wanted to know more about them so googling led me down a rabbit hole to a 2013 IEEE article which talking about AC vs DC and I discovered that UEP&L through a few acquisitions and mergers is now Con Edison.

Check out the photos of the EV ads, #electricity pricing, #TOU and more that will delight any #EV nerd among us.

See below from some excerpts from that article.

“…Thirty-five years after the celebrated events at the Chicago Exposition of 1893 and the subsequent installation at Niagara Falls, ac had become the dominant system foreseen by Westinghouse, Smith, and the others. That victory came about…through the ingenious application of relays hidden in underground vaults and manholes.”

“Ironically, the very name United Electric Light and Power Company, the pioneer that achieved the success some believed to be impossible, has been long forgotten. The changeover at New York Edison was long, and the last dc utility entrance and meter were retired on 14 November 2007. Sloan had projected a period of 35–45 years to complete the changeover of all customers as the estimate of installed investment in dc customers’ property was US$100 million in 1928 dollars. To assist the changeover, United and New York Edison merged their technical departments in 1932. Three years later United was merged into New York Edison by transfer of stock, and the 46-year-old company ceased to exist. The merged corporation, New York Edison Company, Inc. merged with parent Consolidated Gas Company in 1936 to become Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Ed) Later authors referred to the innovation as “the New York Edison network,” apparently unaware of the role of United. More recent technical papers, however, give credit where it is due, to that small company that defied conventional wisdom to turn a goal into a reality.” https://lnkd.in/enn82DGn
Please share!
#electricvehicle#innovation#utilities#powergrid#historyfacts

NDEW 2021 Satellite Beach

In September 2021 we had a very small gathering for this year’s National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) for obvious reasons. Instead of inviting all the vendors and exhibitors we only sent invites to the local dealerships to bring an EV or two so they could do the test rides. Our personal EVs were there mostly for show and tell – which is one of the main ideas for the NDEW event around the country! Where else can you see all the different makes and models of electric vehicles in one place? How else can you get your questions answered from “the horse’s mouth” of the people that live with and drive these cars every day to work, school, and the grocery store? The big news this year is just how serious other automakers have gotten with making EVs with over 200 and 300 miles of range. Thanks to all the new fast chargers that are getting installed every single day on our highways, road trips are getting easier and faster thanks to new EVs with faster charging speeds (measured in kilowatts: kW) to fill the larger batteries (capacity measured in kilowatt-hours: kWh). We noticed again this year just like we do every year we have these public events that the cars tend to sell themselves as soon as you mention it only takes about 9$ to “fill up”. And when we show how little we pay for maintenance (a jug of windshield washer fluid, a cabin air filter, and tire rotation as an example of routine maintenance) it becomes a no-brainer that everyone is saving money by driving electric. It just so happens to clean the air as well – especially when you install solar panels on your house to charge the car on pure sunlight for fuel! About 20% of our Space Coast EV Drivers club have done this and talk about how they did it, how much it cost, and how much they are saving every month. Our next monthly meet up in November will be on Saturday Nov 13, at the David R Schechter Community Center in Satellite Beach from 1030 am to 12 and will be a food drive for the Basket Brigade. More information can be found on our Upcoming EVents page.

Here’s some photos from NDEW 2021: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ReY3aSB48my3xhh9A