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Did Thomas Edison invent the electric car?
I’ve heard that electric cars have been around since the early 20th century in the U.S. Did Thomas Edison invent the first electric car in America?
Bellina Gaskey · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Great question! While Thomas Edison did not invent or build the first electric car seen in the United States, he did build his own working electric vehicle in 1912. The man credited with building the first electric car was named William Morrison.
Electric cars have
been around longer than you think
. Morrison built the first electric buggy in the U.S. 1890 in Des Moines, Iowa. Although in Europe, other inventors had been creating the first crude electric transportation models since as early as 1828, according to the Department of Energy
.Edison, for his part, began working on an alkaline
car battery
in 1899, intending it to be used to support the electrical life of a motor vehicle. This project took him over 10 years to complete, and a few years later, in 1912, he built three prototypes for another patent he was working on for an electric automobile. However, Edison’s electric car never went into production.Whether you’re driving electric or gas-powered, finding the right insurance for you can be a challenge. Sign up for the
Jerry
app and let us find you the best price on car insurance.View full answer
- Gregory R.
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