The transportation revolution is coming.

Its success depends on electric mobility powered by renewable energy. It is considered a central component of a sustainable transportation system and has accordingly emerged as a key technology. With so much attention focused on it, electric mobility seems today like an innovation of the past two decades. Yet its history goes back much further. Electric vehicles have been around longer than gasoline-powered ones. Even if one does not mark the development of Benz’s Patent Motor Car No. 1 in 1886 as its birth, but rather Étienne Lenoir’s maiden voyage in a combustion-engine vehicle from Paris to Joinville-le-Pont and back in 1863.

The foundation for e-mobility was laid as early as the first third of the 19th century. Based on the electric motor developed by Michael Faraday in 1821, the Hungarian engineer Ányos Jedlik constructed the first model of an electric car in 1828. In the early 1830s, Scottish inventor Robert Anderson finally unveiled an electric-powered car. Shortly thereafter, Sibrandus Stratingh and Christopher Becker designed another model in the Netherlands.

Pioneers and Records

Electric vehicles finally became practical in 1859, thanks to Gaston Planté’s invention of the rechargeable lead-acid battery. In 1881, Camille Laure was able to significantly improve the battery. The first officially recognized electric vehicle dates back to that same year. It was designed by Gustave Trouvé. In 1882, Werner von Siemens introduced the so-called “Elektromote,” which is considered the precursor to today’s trolleybuses. In 1888, Andreas Flocken built Germany’s first electric car: the Flocken Elektrowagen. At the same time, the first models were also being developed in the United States. In 1896, Andrew L. Riker won the first U.S. circuit race in an electric car. The runner-up also relied on electricity. In 1899, a speed record was finally set near Paris with an electric vehicle: for the first time, a car broke the 100-kilometers-per-hour mark. The “Jamais Contente” reached just under 106 km/h.

On the roads around 1900, electric vehicles were by no means a rarity. Electric-powered cabs and delivery vans were popular. By the thousands, they shaped the urban landscape in France, the U.S., and here in Germany as well. They were considered clean, quiet, and reliable—in stark contrast to their internal-combustion competitors. Nevertheless, gasoline-powered vehicles prevailed due to pivotal events: First, the introduction of assembly-line production starting in 1913 made the manufacture of internal-combustion engines significantly cheaper. Second, fuel prices fell as a result of the development of new oil reserves.

The Temporary Decline

Electric cars subsequently disappeared from the market. Electric mobility became the exception, a niche product found only in mining or in factory settings. It wasn’t until the 1970s that electric cars were reconsidered, due to the oil crises. It was back on the agenda for manufacturers such as GM, VW, and BMW. The latter unveiled the BMW 1602e in 1972, on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Munich. However, no model achieved real market success—despite emerging debates about emissions and climate protection. That is, until the turn of the millennium finally spurred the transportation revolution: From then on, modern lithium-ion batteries impressed with improved charging speeds and high energy density, while at the same time, awareness of the climate crisis as a global threat grew—leading to electric vehicle subsidies and stricter emissions standards.

Since 2008, Tesla, Nissan, and BMW have proven that electric mobility by no means means making sacrifices. The electric car has long since become a real head-turner—a dream car that provides reliable transportation and stirs the emotions. The expansion of charging infrastructure, fast-charging networks, and modern urban concepts like car-sharing are driving this development. This is especially true as many countries plan to ban new registrations of internal combustion engine vehicles in the medium term, while investments in battery research and renewable energy are on the rise.

Like a Phoenix from the Outlet

The number of electric vehicles is growing rapidly today—and the trend is upward. This new market role will inevitably lead to price reductions and grid expansion, while dependence on lithium and cobalt is likely to gradually diminish. We all know this: Technological breakthroughs take time. And even though e-mobility marks the return of an old familiar concept, the current development is still in its infancy.