Electric cars - the second heyday of an ancient technology

In 1881, inventor Gustave Trouvé rode on a three-wheeled electric bike - called the Trouvé Tricycle - through the streets of Paris. The world's first vehicle of its kind was able to attain a speed of up to 12 kilometers per hour and had a range of 12-26 kilometers. While a modified Siemens engine was installed under the axle, a 12-volt lead acid battery was placed behind the driver.

The first forerunner of today's trams dates back to 1882 when Werner Siemens unveiled the electric-powered carriage "Elektromote" in Halensee - at today's Kurfürstendamm - near Berlin on a 540-meter long test track. The car was driven by electricity from a two-pole overhead line.

German entrepreneur and inventor Andreas Flocken (pictured with his wife) probably built the world's first electric car in 1888. His electric car consisted of a high-wheeled carriage car powered by an electric motor, which had a generating capacity of 0.7 kW. It transferred the power to the rear axle with the help of a leather strap.

"La Jamais Contente" was the first vehicle on the road that drove faster than 100 kilometers per hour. The speed record was set in 1899 by Belgian engineer and racing driver Camille Jenatzy. The vehicle was designed like a torpedo, and two 25 kW electric motors powered it.

In 1899, 90 percent of taxis in New York were powered by electric engines. In the same year, Ludwig Lohner and Ferdinand Porsche built the electric vehicle Lohner-Porsche. To increase its range, Porsche turned it into the world's first hybrid car in 1902. The "Mixte cars" had an internal combustion engine, which boosted the battery. In 1912, 20 manufacturers built a record 33,842 electric cars.

In 1911, the electric starter for petrol engines was invented, the oil price was low and the range of the combustion engine was on the rise. The production of electric cars came to a complete standstill around 1920. The niche market in which e-mobility continued to persist was local transport with small commercial vehicles - as for supplying milk, the so-called "milk floats" in the UK and the US.

In the 1990s, the oil crisis triggered by the Gulf War as well as environmental awareness led to a renaissance of the electric car. In particular, the regulation of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) mandating carmakers to offer emissions-free cars, forced the auto industry to improve its offerings. General Motors' electric vehicle EV1 was built around this time - from 1996 to 1999.

At the turn of the millennium, emissions requirements were relaxed once again, dealing a deadly blow to most electric cars. Starting from 2003, it was mainly small, independent companies that either developed electric cars or equipped cars with electric engines. For instance, "STROMOS," which has been operated by German E-Cars since 2010, uses Suzuki Splash or Opel Agila B cars.

In 2006, US firm Tesla presented the Tesla Roadster, a sports car that brought e-mobility out of its ecological niche. The subsequent models accelerated to speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour in just 3.7 seconds. With a range of 350 kilometers and maximum speed of about 201 kilometers per hour, it was the first electric vehicle suited for long-distance travel.

Just a few years later, major German carmakers stepped into the market for electric vehicles. Since 2013, Volkswagen's E-up! And BMW's i3 have been on the market. They are considerably more expensive than conventional cars, and their range is also limited. This has discouraged many from buying them, and the result is that electric vehicles account for a mere 0.6 percent of the German auto market.

The carmakers are convinced that the future belongs to e-mobility. By 2025, VW wants e-cars to account for a quarter of its sales. VW, Daimler and co. want to take the challenge to Tesla, and the German firms are stepping up their efforts to catch up with their American competitor. Porsche's Mission E is expected to be launched by 2020 - 121 years after the making of the first electric Porsche.