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Electric Cars

In: Business and Management

Submitted By Vytis
Words 3186
Pages 13
Electric Cars Industry
History of Automobile Industry
The history of automobile dates back to 17th century as a Flemish Jesuit missionary, Ferdinand Verbiest, built a steam-powered vehicle to Chinese Emperor Kangxi as a toy. In 1769 French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot improved Verbiest’s car by constructing a car which could hold a driver. But only in 1886 German engineer Karl Benz invented the first real useful car, considered a first automobile powered by internal-combustion engine. A few years later, a guy named Henry Ford applied for work with Thomas Edison. Ford started working with steam-powered engines the Edison’s company used to make electricity for US cities. While working at Edison’s company Ford came up with machine called Ford Quadricycle, ran by internal internal combustion engine and in 1899 Ford founded the Detroit Automobile Company. Company soon failed and after few other unsuccessful attempts Ford finally formed Ford Motor, a first automobile manufacturer, company in 1903. In the beginning of car industry, a time when the technology was completely new, 40% of American cars were powered by steam, while 38% were electric and 22% had gas engines. So, in the beginning of the automobile industry it was really unclear which direction in will turn. Steam engine, internal combustion engine and electricity had almost equal starting positions to become a standard for powering cars. Even at the time with inventions of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla electricity may be even considered a more probable outcome. Although, back in it’s birth, cars were considered an unpractical thing and available only for rich people. Henry Ford had a vision of producing an affordable, cheap and mass produced car. In 1908 he came up with Ford Model T which became a huge success and heightened company and whole industry itself to unbelievable heights allowing Ford company to

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