WEBVTT

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- [Narrator] Electric vehicles
are all the rage right now.

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But it's not the first time, in fact,

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electric vehicles have a long history.

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The first electric vehicles
date back to the late 1820s.

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Yes, I said 1820s.

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But since they didn't have
rechargeable batteries,

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they were more novelties at that point.

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By 1891, when the first commercially

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successful electric car was developed,

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batteries could be recharged,

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which further drove production.

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In fact, 28% of the cars sold in

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the year 1900 were electric.

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So, what happened?

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Henry Ford's assembly line,

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that's what happened.

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The Model T changed the
automotive world forever

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by making cars more
affordable for the masses.

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Once gasoline engines no
longer needed hand cranks,

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sales of electric cars started falling

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off until they disappeared.

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Until the early 1970s,
when advancements in

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battery technology, rising gas prices,

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and legislation created the second

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short lived serge of interest.

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Similar conditions led to
our current interest in EV,

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but this time, they came along with

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eight billion dollars in loans

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from the US Department of
Energy to major manufacturers,

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and an improving infrastructure

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for charging away from home.

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By the start of 2018, there were

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around 25 different models of battery

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powered cars on the market in the US.

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What does the future look
like for electric vehicles?

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If there continues to be advancements

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in battery technology, pretty bright.