Produced by Silent Transport Ltd. of Woking (England) in 1948,
the Eaglet was a small 3-wheeler 2-door electric car. A range of
25-30 miles per charge and a maximum speed of 30 mph were claimed.
It appears few were sold, however the company also converted Opel
Cadets and Fiat Topolinos to electric power, and may have sold a
number of these conversions.
H.E. Eastman, Cleveland, Ohio, 1899-1902
The Eaton Electric Motor Carriage Co. of Boston MA showed a
light electric 2-seater in Boston in 1898.
Eddy Electric Mfg. Co., Windsor, Conn, 1902
Edison played with electric cars as well as many other things.
His 1889 3-wheel electric run-about is in the holdings of the
Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn MI. This is believed to be the first
car built by Edison.
Photo of Thomas
Edison and his son Chase in electric car (B&W -
80k)(original photo by Pach Brothers). This automobile appears to
be the Edison electric car which saw very limited production
(possibly 2 to 4 vehicles for Edison and friends) which is usually
dated from 1914.
Built by Zagato of Italy in the mid 1970's, the Elcars were a
2-door, 2-seater light electric car. They had fibreglass bodies
and their suspension components drew heavily from Fiat cars of the
period, notably the Fiat 124. Some 500 Elcars are believed to have
been produced from 1974 to 1976. Zagato is supposed to have built
4-seater electric minicars in the early 1980's, but I have not
found any reliable information on this vehicle. It is believed
that 5 Elcars were imported into Canada. They are known to have
run in Nepean ON, Bracebridge ON, Ottawa ON and London, ON. There
is an Elcar in the collection of the S. Ray Miller Antique Auto
Museum in Elkhart IN. The North American Elcars were assembled in
Elkhart in the 1970's. An interesting side-note: There were
"Elcars" produced in Elkhart IN from 1916 to 1931,
initially by the brothers William B. and George B. Pratt, and
after 1921 by former Auburn executives, but they were not
electric.
This firm is no longer in operation (2024) and had their own Web page.
[dead site: http://www.elcat.fi/] Elcat Home Page
This Electra was produced by H. Krüger of Berlin (Germany)
from 1899 to 1900. It was a small 3-wheeler, 2 seater electric
car.
This Electra was produced by the Electra Storage Battery Power
Co. of Chicago IL from 1913 to 1915. The car was an enclosed body,
2-seater weighing in at just 750 pounds. It used a 2.5 hp electric
drive motor.
The Electra-Car was a wheelchair transporter built by E.T.
Systems of Toronto ON circa 1981. This vehicle was built to permit
a wheelchair to be driven into it, then permit the occupant of the
wheelchair to operate the car. A top speed of 20 mph was claimed
for this very small vehicle.
In the 1970's, the Die Mesh Corp. built the Electra Spider
prototype electric car. It used 18 lead-acid batteries for energy
storage, had a gross vehicle weight rating of 1,295 kg, and
claimed a maximum speed of 88 km/h and a range of 45 to 80 km per
charge depending on driving conditions.
This company has become Apollo Energy Systems. They were still
around and on the Web until 2025, so maybe you can find them on
the
Internet Archive (circa 2012 versionand read about thems there.
[dead site: http://electricauto.com/] Electric
Auto Corporation / Apollo Energy Systems Home Page
Started by Robert Aronson in the late 1960's, this firm has
developed a number of prototypes based on conversions of
mass-produced gasoline-powered vehicles, but has not yet managed
significant production of any of these vehicles. It was an EFP
vehicle that won the 1970 Clean Air Race in the U.S. Over the
years, these prototypes have included the following vehicles.
An AMC Hornet converted to electric propulsion by American
Motors Corporation and Electric Fuel Propulsion in the 1970's. A
top speed of 69 mph and a range of 73 miles at a constant 40 mph
were claimed for this car.
The Mars I and Mars II were converted Renault 10's. At least 40
of the Mars II cars were produced, many of which were sold to
electrical utility companies in the U.S. A Mars II was sold to
Calgary City Power, which was subsequently provided to the
University of Calgary.
The Silver Volt was a converted Chevrolet Chevelle, with
significant styling changes to disguise the origin of the shell.
The Transformer 1 was a converted AMC Gremlin.
The Electric Shopper was produced by Electric Shopper Co. of
Long Beach CA from 1952 to 1962 (per Standard Catalog of American
Cars 1946-1975). There appears to have been only one model, a
run-about with a 61-inch wheelbase. A correspondent has described
to me a 1956 model with a steel body, 24-volt, tiller steering,
top, wrap around windshield, and doors. Later models (at least as
late as 1964) appear to have included a small 3-wheeler with a
plastic body. It was a low-speed, short-range vehicle designed
specifically for short errands as suggested by its name. Both
fiberglass and steel bodies were available, with the steel
versions being less expensive. Power was supplied by a 24-volt,
series DC motor rated at 1.5 hp. Top speed was approximately 18
mph and range was claimed to be over 30 miles per charge. The body
was 86 inches long.
Photo of Electric
Shopper, left side profile. Photo courtesy of Bob Boyer, used
here with permission (colour - 39k).
Photo
of Electric Shopper, front right 3/4 profile. Photo courtesy
of Bob Boyer, used here with permission (colour - 40k).
Photo
of Electric Shopper, rear left 3/4 profile. Photo courtesy of
Bob Boyer, used here with permission (colour - 25k).
Produced by British Leyland in England in the early 1980's,
this was a large truck.
This company was located in Cleveland OH from 1974 to 1982, and
were known for converting gasoline-powered cars to electric power.
They produced several models, possibly including a small van, a
small pickup truck and a Ford Mustang, in addition to those listed
below.
Conversion of an AMC Pacer station wagon. At least 50 of these
were produced, most of which ended up in demonstration projects
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1970's. One
of these vehicles was operated by Varta Batteries in Montréal,
PQ, which was later purchased and operated privately in British
Columbia.
The Current Fare was a conversion of a Ford Fairmont. Both
sedans and station wagon versions were produced. 20 of these
vehicles were purchased by New York Consolidated Edison in 1981
and operated by Con Ed for several years. Ontario Hydro had one of
the station wagon versions in the 1980's.
Originally designed by Otis Elevator in 1973, this design was
subsequently built by a company called Electrobus, and beginning
in 1976, by EVA in Cleveland. At least 11 were built and put into
service.
Roosevelt Island Electrobus
(colour - 10k)
Long Beach Electrobuses
(colour - 7k)
Consolidated Edison NY
Electrobus (colour - 13k)
(above images courtesy of Bob
Borisoff, used here with permission)
This was a conversion of a Renault 12, a 4-door, 4-seater,
front-wheel drive car using an automatic 3-speed transmission. The
car had a curb weight of 3, 150 pounds, and a GVW rating of 3,750
pounds. Range on a single charge was claimed to be 58 miles at
approximately 25 mph, 34 miles at 35 miles per hour, 37 miles at
45 miles per hour and 33 miles at 55 mph (the advertised maximum
speed). Acceleration from 0-30 mph was claimed to be less than 15
seconds, and 0-45 mph in 27 seconds. One of these appeared in
Jimmy Carter's U.S. Presidential Inauguration Parade in 1977.
Seven were sold as a fleet to the Province of Manitoba in 1975,
which 2 were subsequently donated to the University of Manitoba in
Winnipeg and 5 were auctioned off to individuals and ended up in
Gimli MB, Winnipeg MB, Calgary, AB, Edmonton AB and Ottawa ON. The
author drove one until 2002, when it was retired.
Photo
of EVA Metro
The Electric Vehicle Association of Canada (EVAC) was founded
in 1978. The founding members were Fred Johnson, Fred Green,
Nelson Durie and Darryl McMahon with encouragement from Renton
Patterson. Fred Johnson was the original Executive Director. In
the early 1980s, the organization chose to eliminate individual
membership (although it was individual EV enthusiasts that had
founded the organization) and focus on bringing in large companies
as members. Individual membership was re-instated in the 1990s to
try to increase revenue, but few individuals joined due to the
prohibitive membership fee. Individuals were purged from
membership again after 2000. EVAC effectively became dormant in
2003 and closed operations entirely in either late 2004 or 2005.
While the national Canadian electric vehicle organization was legally named
Electric Vehicle Association of Canada (EVAC) / Association des Véhicules Électrique du Canada
(AVEC), the original working name for the assocation was
Canadian Electric Vehicle Association (CEVA) see also.
This was a 2-seater, 3-wheeler cyclecar built in Couaillet 77
Rue des Rosiers, St. Ouen (Seine, France) from 1920 to 1924. It
used a single 2.5 hp motor.
The Electricshaw was developed by Dr. Peter Quandt of Edmonton
AB in the 1970's. It claimed a range of 100 miles on a charge and
a top speed of 60 mph. There is no evidence of production beyond
the prototype stage.
Electrocar, Inc. (circa 1968)
The following information and images have been provided by Mr. Edwin
Winet, who worked on the vehicle.
The Electrocar was significant, in that it was one of the first examples
of ALL solid state controls for a DC motor. It was unusual, but aren’t all
electric cars? The “donor” car was a 1956 VW Karman-Ghia coupe “2+2” Sportscar.
As the Ghia’s back two seats are more imaginative than comfortable, this
mid-body position was chosen for the “battery” of ten 12 Volt Interstate®
commercial lead-acid batteries, held down by an angle-iron framework.
The Ghia’s original 36 HP air-cooled VW motor was removed. The 4-speed
trans-axle was retained. The 120 Volt D.C. motor, actually a WW-2
airplane 27 K.W. compound Generator, with three sets of brushes on one
commutator, with forced air cooling. As 746 Watts = 1 HP, the 27 KW
unit was pretty healthy, at 36 electrical H.P, and as we all know,
electrical HP and engine HP are not quite the same! The charging was
simple: A 120 Volt reel cord with rectifier “brick” charged the main
battery, directly! I added a boost/buck/normal filament transformer
in series with the “120” Volt D.C. input, to compensate for Low, Normal
and High 120 VAC Line voltages found at various homes across the city
of Los Angeles, Ca. Moving a toggle switch on the transformer box
(where the gas tank (front) was, allowed simple adjustment of charging
rate, which was overnight, or at a special outlet and parking place
at work, at the Aerospace Corporation, (USAF laboratories), in
El Segundo, California, 28 miles from my home on the other side of
the Sepulveda Pass. Typical speeds were anything from crawling along,
to the legal 65 MPH, with “more to go!!!”
The motor/generator was attached/ adapted directly to the VW transaxle
flange. Most all of the electronics and electrics were installed in
the original engine (now D.C. motor) compartment, for fairly easy access.
The (front)gas tank was removed for luggage space, the charging adjustment
transformer, the main D.C. circuit breaker . and the reel cord mechanism.
The car came from the shores of Lake Michigan, near Chicago. It was in
storage, for a while, at its builder’s home, near the harsh winters of the
lake, that brought me into the picture: It was purchased from the builder
by a new “company” called: “Electrocar”, founded by 2 Doctorate Engineers
and a lawyer. I was engaged to restore the car’s electrical system,
and the car, test drive the car and commute with it, a 56 Mile round trip,
which it accomplished with ease. The car’s motor could “idle” at 1800 RPM,
or start from a still shaft. Of course, it had electro-dynamic braking!
The accelerator pedal was a 1910 sewing machine foot control, that
controlled the D.C. field transistors. I drove it for 2 weeks and decided
that I would give it to them, but FIRST, I did a high speed stop-watch
timed 1 mile run. The speed achieved, was 120 MPH! I decided that I
would limit the field current to 75 MPH, (a wise choice!!!) I added
forced air cooling to the motor, thermostatically controlled.
The guys drove the car for about a month, with no issues.
The car’s California history was 6 months long. A simple, fast design,
with standard parts that I put a lot of effort into restoring.

The lady in the first photo is the Wife of Dr. Hugo Meyer.
The battery "closest to ground" was also used for the vehicle's standard
electrical system (lights, wipers,etc.)
The Ammeter was for showing acceleration, cruise and regenerative
braking currents. Utilizing the _original drive
line allowed for LIMITING current, by "going through the gears". Use of 1st
gear 3rd gear (sometimes) and 4th gear were adequate.
The modified instrument (on the right) was calibrated in 0 TO 100
PERCENT of charge amount remaining.

The motor picture shows the original 6 Volt Ghia battery, which was
eliminated, for simplicity. This area became the home for the forced
air cooling of the motor, thermostatically controlled. (Modified tank
type vacuum cleaner (5 stage blower), 120 Volt AC/DC type).
Speed tests were conducted, with top speed being well over 100MPH!
The Ghia was a 1956. The change to EV happened about 1966
(one of the main components new in 1966) and the Electro Car folks pulled it
out of the engineer's garage just before hiring Edwin in October of 1968.
Electro Car 600
Produced by Electro Car Inc. (in the 1970s?, presumably not the same
as Electrocar, Inc. in the previous entry), the Electro Car
600 was a 4-passenger car with a gross vehicle weight rating of
1638 kg, a range of 64 km per charge and a maximum speed of 97
km/h.
Electro Master
Produced by Nepa Mfg Co. of Pasadena CA beginning in 1962, this
was light electric car (weighing 680 pounds) built of steel and
fibreglass. Maximum speed was 20 mph, with a range of 40 miles on
a charge. Six 6-volt golf-cart batteries supplied power to the
single 2 hp electric motor which drove the vehicle.
Electrobus
Electrociclo
Very small quantities of this car were produced by the
Electrociclo SA of the Basque region of Spain in 1945 and 1946.
The car was a small 2-seater. Their address was Barrio Chonta,
Eibar (Guipuzcoa)
Électrocyclette - see A.É.M
Électrolette
This car was produced by Cie. Parisienne des Voitures
Electriques, of 35 Rue de Ponthieu, Nice (France) from 1941-1943.
It was a light electric 2-seater in both open and closed body
models. It is believed that a few hundred of these vehicles were
produced. Maximum speed was 20 mph. A single 1.5 hp motor drove
the vehicle. Not to be confused with the vehicle produced by
Kriéger in the early 1900's.
Electromobile
Not be confused with the Chapman vehicles (see Chapman) or the
U.S.S.R. jeep which were also referred to as Electromobiles on
occasion, these vehicles were produced by the British
Electromobile Co. Ltd. of Prospect Works, Otley, Yorks, London
(England) from 1901 to 1920. While a variety of models and
configurations were produced, the early electrics from this firm
were generally open-body 4-seaters, with a steering wheel on a
tilted steering column, the electric motor mounted on the rear
axle and batteries carried under the floor of the car. The
vehicles were noted for their reliability. In 1919, the firm
introduced the Elmo which featured an enclosed body and an 8.5 hp
motor. It appears the Elmo was not a commercial success.
Electromobiles
Based in India, this firm produced the Silencia Electroped 24,
a 24-volt electric moped. This vehicle may also have been marketed
as the Electrona 24.
Électromotion
The Societé l'Électromotion of 54 Avenue
Montaigne, Paris (France) built electric cars from 1900 to 1909.
Mostly 4-seaters were produced, and the styling was conventional
for the period.
Electromotion Inc.
A joint venture of Otis (the elevator company) and
EVA-Chloride, based in Bedford MA in the 1970's, this company
produced a prototype delivery van which claimed a top speed of 45
mph and a range of 35 miles per charge using 14 6-volt lead-acid
batteries weighing a total of 950 pounds.
Electronic La Saetta
The Electronic Motor Car Corp. of Salt Lake City UT developed a
prototype hybrid in 1955. The vehicle was a 2-seater sports car
with a fibreglass body. The car used an on-board generator set to
keep the battery pack charged while in operation. Other models
were announced, but no other vehicles were ever produced.
Electrovair, Electrovair II - see General
Motors
Électro-Renard
This small electric 2-seater was produced in Lyons (France)
from 1943 to 1946. Presumably another vehicle produced in response
to the scarcity of gasoline in France during the war years.
Elieson
In 1897 and 1898, Elieson Lamina Accumulator Syndicate Ltd. of
London (England) offered an electric car, a taxi and a delivery
van. The car was also known as the Swan. Elieson's primary
contribution to the vehicles was the batteries, which were
actually constructed by another firm (John Warrick & Co. Ltd.
of Reading).
Elite
Elite-Werke, A.G. Zossenerstr.,Berlin, S.W. 29 Germany
Ellis
The Ellis was an electric car based very much on small
horse-drawn carriages, built by the Triumph Motor Vehicle Co. of
Chicago IL (not to be confused with the British sports car maker)
in 1900 and 1901.
Elroy Engineering
Elwell-Parker
Elwell-Parker Electric Co., St Clair Ave., Cleveland, Ohio,
1909-1910
Enfield
Enfield 465
The Enfield 465 was a small electric car claiming a range of 60
km and a maximum speed of 60 km/h. It was powered by a 4.65-hp
motor from a 48-volt lead-acid battery pack. The enclosed body was
made of fibreglass and had sliding doors. While prototypes were
produced, this particular vehicle does not appear to have seen
significant production.
Enfield 8000
The Enfield 8000 was designed from the ground-up to be an
electric car. It was produced by Enfield Automotive of London
(England) in the mid-1960s. These were 2-door, 4-seater cars with
a reported range of 39 to 90 km per charge (depending on driving
conditions) and a maximum speed of 64 km/h. The curb weight of the
vehicle was 975 kg. It used a tubular steel chassis/frame and
aluminum body panels. The motor was connected to a single-speed
differential. Reversing the car was accomplished by reversing the
drive motor by means of a forward/reverse electric switch on the
dashboard. An on-board charger charged both the traction batteries
and the accessory battery from any 240-volt, 13-amp outlet (common
in Europe). Approximately 70 were purchased by the Electricity
Council (England) in 1966 and supplied to electric utilities in
England and Wales to demonstrate the practicality of electric
cars. Early versions were fitted with 8 x 12-volt traction
batteries and a single 12-volt accessory battery. The traction
batteries were set up in parallel pairs, with the pairs connected
in series to provide 48 volts. Problems with unequal charging and
discharging of the parallel pairs resulted in the use of 8 x
6-volt batteries wired as a single series string (still producing
48 volts) being used in later versions of the car. The basic
vehicles used a combination of battery switching (12, 24 and 48
volt settings) and field control on the motor to provide speed
control. All batteries were in the circuit in all power
configurations (to even the discharge).
There is an Enfield 8000 in Vancouver BC which is the property
of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association (VEVA), which was
previously owned by BC Hydro. This vehicle was subsequently
provided to an individual as a testbed for work on continuously
variable transmissions. Another was reported in private hands in
Toronto ON in 1979.
Illustration of
Enfield 8000(B&W - 47k)
[dead link: http://www.ipswichtransportmuseum.co.uk/lyv135p.htm] Enfield
8000 at Ipswich Museum
[Dead link: http://www.ipswichtransportmuseum.co.uk/lyf162x.htm] Enfield
Electric Van
In 1901, in Toronto ON, the E.R. Thomas Motor Company was
producing electric cars. This company produced the Ivanhoe
Electric Roadster, circa 1903. The company was later known as CCM
(Canadian Cycle and Motor) and [Dead link: http://www.ccmcycle.com/anglais/pages/accueil.html] still
produces bicycles today.
This was a prototype vehicle produced under a project funded by
the U.S. government (DOE) in the late 1970's. GE was the prime
contractor for the design and development of the vehicle. Using 18
lead-acid batteries, the vehicle was a 4-seater which claimed a
maximum speed of 96 km/h and a range of 112 to 184 km per charge,
depending on driving conditions. The vehicle never went into
production.
This was a prototype vehicle produced by Garrett/AiResearch
under a U.S. DOE contract in the late 1970's.
The Silent Rider was an all-electric 50-passenger bus produced
in the late 1970's.
The Silent Karrier was an all-electric delivery van.
EVI Inc. of Sterling MI produced a 3-wheeler electric car in
the 1970's with a claimed range of 45 miles per charge and a top
speed of 25 mph. It does not appear that anything more than
prototypes were produced.