Electropolis Berlin

In 1821, the year Napoleon Bonaparte died on the island of Saint Helena, English physicist Michael Faraday published his findings on electromagnetic rotation and laid the foundation for the electric motor. His contemporaries quickly realized the potential of this invention. But it was the development of the lead-acid battery by Frenchman Gaston Planté that made it possible to build a self-propelled vehicle, or automobile, without an external power supply.

The world’s first electric vehicle was tested in 1881, the same year the International Exposition of Electricity took place for the first time in Paris. Developed by Gustave Trouvé, this electric tricycle was capable of speeds up to 12 km/h and had a range of 14 to 26 kilometres. The tricycle built by German inventor Carl Benz with a combustion engine followed somewhat later in 1886. Prior to this, experiments had been conducted with steam-powered vehicles. Beginning in 1888, electric cars were manufactured in Germany by Maschinenfabrik A. Flocken in Coburg. Capable of a top speed of 15 km/h, these models today resemble a cross between a horse-drawn carriage and an antique baby pram. But at the time, they were state-of-the-art.

Progress in the development of electric vehicles accelerated rapidly – just like the vehicles themselves. In 1899, an electric car built by Belgian race driver Camille Jenatzy and named “La Jamais Contente” (French: The Never Satisfied), became the first road vehicle to top 100 km/h. The following ten years marked the heyday of electric automobiles. It was the age of electricity: electric lights illuminated the cities, electric telegraphs connected the continents in real time, and electric cars were regarded as a modern, elegant means of personal transport.

Electric vehicles were superior to those powered by combustion engines in many respects. They were instantly ready to drive after being switched on and didn’t need to be started with a crank. And without complicated clutches and gearboxes, they were much easier to drive. An internal combustion engine needed petrol, which at the time was only sold in pharmacies. Last but not least, e-cars didn’t make any noise or produce exhaust gas, which made them even more practical in cities.

As early as 1897 there were attempts in the U.S. to make car sharing socially acceptable. The idea was to lease vehicles to customers based on the business model used by the popular livery stables at the time. The project failed because the vehicles had a relatively short range of travel and would have necessitated a large number of relay stations to provide power.

More than a hundred years ago, it was this short travel range that inspired inventors to develop new concepts that today are once again regarded as innovations. Fast charging and mobile charging stations already existed at the turn of the century. Replaceable battery modules were developed to enable vehicles to immediately resume their journey. But since batteries were made of lead at that time, they were extremely heavy.

Berlin was a hotspot for the development of e-mobility. Like New York in the USA, Berlin developed to become an “Electropolis” in Europe. In 1905, more e-vehicles were sold in Berlin than petrol-powered cars. Many of the electric vehicles produced in Germany back then were made in Berlin. Siemens had factories located in Spandau and the electric cars made by Slaby-Beringer were built in Charlottenburg. The Vulkan automobile company had its headquarters in Berlin-Kreuzberg. While electrically-powered city buses operated all over the world, the Zoo-Steglitz line in Berlin set a record of 180 kilometres per day at 25 km/h.

Why did this early golden age of electromobility come to an end? Electric vehicle sales boomed in 1912, but the numbers declined quickly after that. By the 1920s, e-vehicles did not play much of a role. The combustion engine was regarded as the better drive system solution for many years. One factor was the short range of electric vehicles that made overland travel almost impossible. Playing a more important role, however, was the development of new petroleum reserves and the beginning of oil production on an industrial scale. Fuel was much cheaper and this made the expansion of a filling station network possible. Consequently, Henry Ford chose an internal combustion engine for his Model T, the first assembly line car to be mass produced.

Ironically, it was an electric motor that played a role in the decline of e-vehicles. The invention of the electric starter, first used by Cadillac in 1913, made it much easier to operate a petrol engine.

A look back in history shows that when it comes to expanding electromobility, we are facing the same challenges today as we did back then. But now we have new technical options with a different awareness of the environment and sustainability. The electric car has been waiting for a breakthrough for more than a century. Now it is destined to become indispensable in a future world with decentralized energy supplies and modern mobility concepts.