Historical Context & Development of Electric Cars and Autonomous Cars

The Historical Context and Development of Electric Cars and Autonomous Cars
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The Historical Context and Development of Electric Cars and Autonomous Cars
Electric Cars
The first electric car was developed in the 1800s. The first crude electric vehicle was developed in 1832 and became practical after 1870. In 1896, William Morrison created the first electric car in the US, sparking interest in developing electric vehicles. In the 1900s, an increased interest in electric vehicles was observed. The period saw electric vehicles accounting for about 30% of the vehicles in the US. Innovators focused on developing electric car technology, exploring ways to improve performance. In 1901, the first hybrid car was created (Department of Energy, n.d.).
After inventing hybrid cars, gas-powered vehicles were made affordable by Model T. They were fitted with electric starters, increasing sales and causing the disappearance of electric vehicles. The rise in gas prices sparked an interest in electric cars again in the 1970s. NASA introduced an electric vehicle on the moon, inspiring the development of more electric cars. Another electric vehicle was introduced by Sebring-Vanguard in 1975 but had performance drawbacks (Wilson, 2018).
New regulations introduced in the 1990s led manufacturing companies to modify electric cars for better performance. GM released EV1 in 1996, gaining a massive following. Toyota introduced the Prius in 2000, the first mass-produced hybrid car. At this point, engineers research performance improvement and battery life. Silicon Valley firms like Tesla started producing electric vehicles with higher performance. This enhanced competition in the sector and electric cars became a norm from 2010 onwards. The cost also decreased as more automakers invested and mass-produced electric vehicles (Wilson, 2018).
Self-Driving Cars
The path toward self-driving cars started in the middle ages, which inspired developments in today's complex navigation systems. Houdina Radio Control Company introduced the first driverless car controlled by radiofrequency in 1925. A year later, Achen Motor also showcased a driverless car in Milwaukee. The Achen Motor version sparked interest during the 1930s al...