History of electric cars – a timeline

Electric vehicles have been around for longer than most people might think. They actually have a longer history than traditionally powered vehicles fitted with an internal combustion engine (ICE). With various inventions and test models created over the years, EVs are finally in a position to take over from petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles to become the future of the roads.

Scroll through our electric vehicle timeline to discover how things have evolved from the very first electric prototype to the high-powered EVs that are leading the way today.

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first gasoline powered vehicle
first truly practical electric car

1832

Horse and cart is the most common method of transportation at this time. Scottish inventor Robert Anderson builds the first prototype crude electric vehicle.

1870

German inventor, Siegfried Marcus creates the first gasoline powered vehicle which has an internal combustion engine. Over the coming years, more sophisticated features are added such as brakes and a clutch – which make it more closely align to something that we would recognise as a car in the modern day.

1884

English inventor Thomas Parker designs and builds the first truly practical electric car and uses it daily to drive to work.