Note: click on the car to get a picture suitable for coloring

1914 Detroit Electric Car

At the turn of the century, electric cars were viewed not only as a mode of transportation but also as a social asset. They were clean, quiet, stylish, and easy to operate. They appealed to and were marketed for the woman driver. They ran on batteries, which would run about 40-60 miles before it became necessary to recharge.

Their popularity began to wane about 1912 when gasoline engines became easier to operate and offered higher speed and a wider range of operation. In 1912, Cadillac introduced the Kettering electrical self-starter. Mass production, led by Henry Ford, also reduced the cost of the non-electrics. Electric trucks and buses survived into the 1920s, later than passenger cars, especially in Europe.