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When was the first rechargeable electric car made?

A friend was telling me that before electric cars had rechargeable batteries, you used to have to swap your old battery out for a new one. When was the first rechargeable electric car made?

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Allison Stone · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
It’s true that when electric cars experienced a wave of popularity around the turn of the century, battery swaps were the way to go. Still, the first rechargeable battery used in an electric car was created in 1859.
The lead-acid battery was invented by French physicist Gaston Planté and was actually used in most electric cars until very recently. The first viable lithium-ion battery was patented in 1976 by British chemist Michael Stanley Whittingham and became popular for its light weight and larger energy capacity.
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