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'''Electric Vehicle Company''' was an American automobile holding company and early pioneering manufacturer of automobiles.
{{short description|Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{citation style|reason=no inline citations|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Electric Vehicle Company
| logo =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
⚫
| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1990-1126-500, Kraftdroschke.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Electric Vehicle Co. Hansom Cab, ca. 1904
| industry = [[Automotive industry|Automotive]], [[Patent holding company]]
| predecessors = {{Unbulleted list|Electric Carriage & Wagon Company (E.C.W.C.), |[[Columbia Automobile Company]], |[[Riker Electric Vehicle Company]]}}
| founded = {{Start date and age|1897|09|27}} in [[New York City]]
| founders = [[Isaac Rice (businessman)|Isaac Rice]]
| defunct = {{End date|1907}} <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| fate = Bankrupted
| hq_location_city = New York City
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Pedro G. Salom, Henry G. Morris, |[[William C. Whitney]], |[[Albert Augustus Pope]]}}
| products = [[Electric car|Electric cars]], [[George B. Selden#The Selden patent|Selden Patent]]
| brands = {{Unbulleted list|[[Columbia (automobile brand)|Columbia]], |[[Electrobat]]}}
| owners = {{Unbulleted list|[[William C. Whitney]], |[[Thomas Fortune Ryan]] |[[Anthony N. Brady]], |[[Peter Arrell Brown Widener|P. A. B. Widener]], |[[Albert Augustus Pope]]}}
| module = <!-- Used to embed other templates -->
| footnotes =
}}


[[File:"Washington Electric Vehicle Transportation Co." "ware room" and "battery room" in 1903 map- Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia. LOC sanborn01227 002-11 (cropped).tif|thumb|The company's arm in Washington, D.C., had a circular showroom next to its battery station and repair center at 15th Street NW and [[Ohio Drive#Confusion with Ohio Avenue|Ohio Avenue]] in the [[Murder Bay]] neighborhood.]]
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==History==
'''Electric Vehicle Company''' was an American [[holding company]] that operated from 1897 to 1907 and was an early manufacturer of battery-powered automobiles.
⚫
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1990-1126-500, Kraftdroschke.jpg|thumb|E.V.C. Hansom Cab, ca. 1904]]
The Electric Vehicle Company was founded 27 September 1897 as a holding company of battery-powered electric vehicle manufacturers made up of several companies assembled by [[Isaac Rice]].<ref name="Kimes (1996)525" /><ref name="2ndchancegarage_Columbia3" /> Rice had acquired in May, 1897 another electric cab manufacturer, the [[Electric Carriage & Wagon Company]] (E.C.W.C.) in New York. Their vehicles were constructed by ''Henry G. Morris'' and ''Pedro G. Salom'', builders of the [[Electrobat]]s, the first truly useful electric automobiles in the USA.<ref name="Kirsch(2000)41" /> E.V.W.C. pioneered a cab system that included service stations for quick change of battery sets, and repair work; vehicles were leased only, not sold. Twelve of these cabs were in use in [[Manhattan]] in January, 1897.<ref name="Flink (1970)25, 29" /> After the merger, E.C.V. concentrated on building heavy but reliable electric cabs<ref name="Kimes (1996)525" /> which were built in the E.C.W.C. workshops. The rental system was for a short time run by E.V.C. Between 1897 and 1899, there were several hundred E.V.C. vehicles built.<ref name="Kimes (1996)357" />


⚫
== History ==
The company was taken over in 1899 by a [[syndicate]] around [[William C. Whitney]], [[Thomas Fortune Ryan]] [[Anthony N. Brady]], and [[Peter Arrell Brown Widener|P. A. B. Widener]], thus forming the so-called "Lead Cab Trust," which hoped to develop a monopoly by placing electric cabs on the streets of major American cities, starting with New York City, [[Philadelphia]], [[Chicago]], [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Boston]]. Although by 1899, E.V.C. was the largest motor car manufacturer in the USA<ref name="Kimes Pioneers (2005)89" /> - a position lost to [[Oldsmobile]] in 1901 - this policy failed soon, as it was even then not able to sell as many vehicles as necessary for the task. The firm actually made and sold about two thousand electric cars, but fell into hard times in 1900 after facing competition from gas-powered cars and legal problems stemming from these monopolistic practices, as well as scandal surrounding the poor performance of its vehicles. Whitney brought in industrial leader [[Albert Augustus Pope]] now, who brought the [[Columbia Automobile Company]]. The trust was reorganized as the parent company of several vehicle manufacturers, among them Columbia and the [[Riker Electric Vehicle Company]], which was acquired in 1902. Electric Vehicle's chief asset was now the holding of the [[George B. Selden#The Selden patent|Selden Patent]] which established a right to [[royalties]] from all manufacturers of [[internal combustion engine]] vehicles. While this was initially lucrative, it led inevitably to opposition from the other manufacturers and expensive lawsuits, which ended with bankruptcy in 1907. The patent was valid until 1913, but lost its worth as the appellation court reduced it to vehicles with [[Brayton engine]]s, of which none was used in a motor vehicle.
The Electric Vehicle Company was founded September 27, 1897, as a holding company of battery-powered electric vehicle manufacturers acquired and assembled by [[Isaac Rice (businessman)|Isaac Rice]].<ref name="Kimes (1996)525" /><ref name="2ndchancegarage_Columbia3" />


In May 1897, Rice had acquired the Electric Carriage & Wagon Company (E.C.W.C.), a New York manufacturer of electric taxicabs. Its cabs were built by Henry G. Morris and Pedro G. Salom, who had created the [[Electrobat]]s, the country's first useful electric automobiles.<ref name="Kirsch(2000)41" /> E.V.W.C. leased, rather than sold, its vehicles, and built service stations for repairs and to quickly change out battery sets. In January 1897, 12 of the cabs were in use in Manhattan.
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==See also==
⚫
*[[Columbia Automobile Company]]
⚫
*[[Electric Vehicle]]
⚫
*[[List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers]]
*[[GridCars]]


After the merger, E.V.C. concentrated on building heavy but reliable electric cabs in the E.C.W.C. workshops, and it also operated the rental system for a short time.<ref name="Kimes (1996)525" /> By 1899, E.V.C. had built several hundred vehicles<ref name="Kimes (1996)357" /> and become the country's leading motor car manufacturer.<ref name="Kimes Pioneers (2005)89" />
==References==

Electric Vehicle was taken over in 1899 by a [[syndicate]] of [[William C. Whitney]], [[Thomas Fortune Ryan]], [[Anthony N. Brady]], and [[Peter Arrell Brown Widener|P. A. B. Widener]]. Their "Lead Cab Trust" aimed to develop a monopoly by placing electric cabs on the streets of major American cities, starting with New York City, [[Philadelphia]], [[Chicago]], [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Boston]]. The company ultimately sold some 2,000 cars, but this was not enough to establish monopoly. It fell into hard times in 1900 as gasoline-powered automobiles emerged, lawsuits attacked their monopolistic practices, and scandal surrounded the poor performance of its vehicles. [[Oldsmobile]] displaced EVC as the top U.S. automaker in 1901.

Whitney brought in industrial leader [[Albert Augustus Pope]], who brought the [[Columbia Automobile Company]]. The trust was reorganized as the parent company of several vehicle manufacturers, among them Columbia and the [[Riker Electric Vehicle Company]], which was acquired in 1902.

Electric Vehicle's chief asset was now the holding of the [[George B. Selden#The Selden patent|Selden Patent]], which established a right to [[royalties]] from all manufacturers of [[internal combustion engine]] vehicles. While this was initially lucrative, it drew lawsuits and other opposition from other manufacturers.

The company declared bankruptcy in 1907. The patent remained valid until 1913, but lost its worth when the appellation court held that it only applied to vehicles with [[Brayton engine]]s, of which none existed.

⚫
== See also ==
⚫
* [[Columbia Automobile Company]]
⚫
* [[Electric Vehicle]]
⚫
* [[List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|refs=
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="2ndchancegarage_Columbia3">{{cite web|title=The Columbia Car: Reliable, Simple to Operate and Ready for Action |url=http://www.secondchancegarage.com/classic-car/columbia-3.cfm |website=secondchancegarage.com |accessdate=16 December 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216054500/http://www.secondchancegarage.com/classic-car/columbia-3.cfm |archivedate=16 December 2013 |df= }}</ref>
<ref name="2ndchancegarage_Columbia3">{{cite web|title=The Columbia Car: Reliable, Simple to Operate and Ready for Action |url=http://www.secondchancegarage.com/classic-car/columbia-3.cfm |website=secondchancegarage.com |access-date=16 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216054500/http://www.secondchancegarage.com/classic-car/columbia-3.cfm |archive-date=16 December 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="Kimes (1996)525">Kimes/Clark: ''Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805–1942'' (1996), p. 525</ref>
<ref name="Kimes (1996)525">Kimes/Clark: ''Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805–1942'' (1996), p. 525</ref>
<ref name="Kirsch(2000)41">Kirsch: ''The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History.'' 2000, p. 41.</ref>
<ref name="Kirsch(2000)41">Kirsch: ''The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History.'' 2000, p. 41.</ref>

⚫
<ref name="Flink (1970)25, 29" >Flink: ''America Adopts the Automobile'' (1970), p. 25, 29</ref>
<!--(this citation is not used in content and was thus giving a cite error)
⚫
<ref name="Flink (1970)25, 29" >Flink: ''America Adopts the Automobile'' (1970), p. 25, 29</ref-->

<ref name="Kimes (1996)357">Kimes/Clark: ''Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805–1942'' (1996), p. 357</ref>
<ref name="Kimes (1996)357">Kimes/Clark: ''Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805–1942'' (1996), p. 357</ref>
<ref name="Kimes Pioneers (2005)89">Kimes: ''Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels.'' 2005, p. 89.</ref>
<ref name="Kimes Pioneers (2005)89">Kimes: ''Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels.'' 2005, p. 89.</ref>
}}
}}


===Works cited===
== References ==
* David A. Kirsch: ''The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History.'' Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick NJ/ London 2000, ISBN 0-8135-2809-7
* David A. Kirsch: ''The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History.'' Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick NJ/ London 2000, {{ISBN|0-8135-2809-7}}
* Ernest Henry Wakefield: ''History of the Electric Automobile; Battery-Only Powered Cars.'' edited by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). Warrendale PA 1970, ISBN 1-56091-299-5
* Ernest Henry Wakefield: ''History of the Electric Automobile; Battery-Only Powered Cars.'' edited by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). Warrendale PA 1970, {{ISBN|1-56091-299-5}}
* Beverly Rae Kimes (editor), Henry Austin Clark jr.: ''Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805–1942.'' 3rd edition, Krause Publications, Iola WI 1996, ISBN 0-87341-428-4
* {{cite book |editor-first=Beverly Rae |editor-last=Kimes |editor-link=Beverly Rae Kimes |first=Henry Austin Jr. |last=Clark |title=Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805–1942 |edition=3rd |publisher=[[Krause Publications]] |location=Iola, Wisconsin |year=1996 |isbn=0-87341-428-4}}
* Beverly Rae Kimes: ''Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America.'' edited by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). Permissions, Warrendale PA 2005, ISBN 0-7680-1431-X
* {{cite book |first=Beverly Rae |last=Kimes |author-link=Beverly Rae Kimes |title=Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America |year=2005 |editor=SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) |location=Warrendale, Pennsylvania |isbn=0-7680-1431-X}}
* James J. Flink: ''America Adopts the Automobile - 1895–1910.'' Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1970, ISBN 0-262-06036-1
* James J. Flink: ''America Adopts the Automobile - 1895–1910.'' Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1970, {{ISBN|0-262-06036-1}}
* James J. Flink, ''The Automobile Age'' (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1988).
* James J. Flink, ''The Automobile Age'' (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1988).
* G. N. Georgano (editor): ''Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present.'' 2nd edition. Dutton Press, New York 1973, ISBN 0-525-08351-0
* G. N. Georgano (editor): ''Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present.'' 2nd edition. Dutton Press, New York 1973, {{ISBN|0-525-08351-0}}


==External links==
== External links ==
*[http://www.kcstudio.com/selden.html The Selden Motor Wagon] Photos of the vehicle, plus articles about the gestation of the patent and the lengthy lawsuit which followed
* [http://www.kcstudio.com/selden.html The Selden Motor Wagon] Photos of the vehicle, plus articles about the gestation of the patent and the lengthy lawsuit which followed
* [http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public4/columbia-3.cfm secondchancegarage.com: ''The Columbia Car: Reliable, Simple to Operate and Ready for Action - Page 3: To The Electric Vehicle Trust''] (retrieved, 7 August 2014)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305013318/http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public4/columbia-3.cfm secondchancegarage.com: ''The Columbia Car: Reliable, Simple to Operate and Ready for Action - Page 3: To The Electric Vehicle Trust''] (retrieved, 7 August 2014)
* ''[http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/enwiki/static/Misc%20Brochures/Autos%20of%201904%20Booklet/dirindex.html The Automobile of 1904]''; Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly (January 1904), Americana Review, 725 Dongan Ave., Scotia NY (USA); published, 1904, deckt auch Importe ab (English)
* ''[http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/enwiki/static/Misc%20Brochures/Autos%20of%201904%20Booklet/dirindex.html The Automobile of 1904]''; Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly (January 1904), Americana Review, 725 Dongan Ave., Scotia NY (USA); published, 1904, deckt auch Importe ab (English)
* [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/370418/Hiram-Percy-Maxim Encyclopedia Britannica: ''Hiram Percy Maxim''] (English) (retrieved, 7 August 2014)
* [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/370418/Hiram-Percy-Maxim Encyclopædia Britannica: ''Hiram Percy Maxim''] (English) (retrieved, 7 August 2014)
* [http://www.kcstudio.com/riker.html kcstudio.com: ''A.L. Riker - The early story in brief as it directly relates to the history of the Pope Manufacturing Company, the Electric Vehicle Company, and the Columbia cars''] (English) (retrieved, 4 January 2016)
* [http://www.kcstudio.com/riker.html kcstudio.com: ''A.L. Riker - The early story in brief as it directly relates to the history of the Pope Manufacturing Company, the Electric Vehicle Company, and the Columbia cars''] (English) (retrieved, 4 January 2016)
* [http://www.kcstudio.com/colcharging.html kcstudio.com: ''Charging up the electric cabs''; Zeitungsberichte 1896–1898] (English) (retrieved, 4 January 2016)
*** [http://www.kcstudio.com/colcharging.html kcstudio.com: ''Charging up the electric cabs''; Zeitungsberichte 1896–1898] (English) (retrieved, 4 January 2016)scandal surrounding the poor performance of its vehiclesscandal surrounding the poor performance of its vehicles

{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Electric vehicles]]
[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1897]]
[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1907]]
[[Category:1897 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:1907 disestablishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Electric vehicle manufacturers of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1897]]
[[Category:Patent monetization companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Defunct manufacturing companies based in New York City]]

Latest revision as of 21:02, 3 October 2023

Electric Vehicle Company
IndustryAutomotive, Patent holding company
Predecessors
FoundedSeptember 27, 1897; 127 years ago (1897-09-27) in New York City
FoundersIsaac Rice
Defunct1907 (1907)
FateBankrupted
Headquarters
New York City
Key people
ProductsElectric cars, Selden Patent
Brands
Owners
The company's arm in Washington, D.C., had a circular showroom next to its battery station and repair center at 15th Street NW and Ohio Avenue in the Murder Bay neighborhood.

Electric Vehicle Company was an American holding company that operated from 1897 to 1907 and was an early manufacturer of battery-powered automobiles.

History

[edit]

The Electric Vehicle Company was founded September 27, 1897, as a holding company of battery-powered electric vehicle manufacturers acquired and assembled by Isaac Rice.[1][2]

In May 1897, Rice had acquired the Electric Carriage & Wagon Company (E.C.W.C.), a New York manufacturer of electric taxicabs. Its cabs were built by Henry G. Morris and Pedro G. Salom, who had created the Electrobats, the country's first useful electric automobiles.[3] E.V.W.C. leased, rather than sold, its vehicles, and built service stations for repairs and to quickly change out battery sets. In January 1897, 12 of the cabs were in use in Manhattan.

After the merger, E.V.C. concentrated on building heavy but reliable electric cabs in the E.C.W.C. workshops, and it also operated the rental system for a short time.[1] By 1899, E.V.C. had built several hundred vehicles[4] and become the country's leading motor car manufacturer.[5]

Electric Vehicle was taken over in 1899 by a syndicate of William C. Whitney, Thomas Fortune Ryan, Anthony N. Brady, and P. A. B. Widener. Their "Lead Cab Trust" aimed to develop a monopoly by placing electric cabs on the streets of major American cities, starting with New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston. The company ultimately sold some 2,000 cars, but this was not enough to establish monopoly. It fell into hard times in 1900 as gasoline-powered automobiles emerged, lawsuits attacked their monopolistic practices, and scandal surrounded the poor performance of its vehicles. Oldsmobile displaced EVC as the top U.S. automaker in 1901.

Whitney brought in industrial leader Albert Augustus Pope, who brought the Columbia Automobile Company. The trust was reorganized as the parent company of several vehicle manufacturers, among them Columbia and the Riker Electric Vehicle Company, which was acquired in 1902.

Electric Vehicle's chief asset was now the holding of the Selden Patent, which established a right to royalties from all manufacturers of internal combustion engine vehicles. While this was initially lucrative, it drew lawsuits and other opposition from other manufacturers.

The company declared bankruptcy in 1907. The patent remained valid until 1913, but lost its worth when the appellation court held that it only applied to vehicles with Brayton engines, of which none existed.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Kimes/Clark: Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805–1942 (1996), p. 525
  2. ^ "The Columbia Car: Reliable, Simple to Operate and Ready for Action". secondchancegarage.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  3. ^ Kirsch: The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History. 2000, p. 41.
  4. ^ Kimes/Clark: Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805–1942 (1996), p. 357
  5. ^ Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels. 2005, p. 89.

References

[edit]
  • David A. Kirsch: The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick NJ/ London 2000, ISBN 0-8135-2809-7
  • Ernest Henry Wakefield: History of the Electric Automobile; Battery-Only Powered Cars. edited by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). Warrendale PA 1970, ISBN 1-56091-299-5
  • Clark, Henry Austin Jr. (1996). Kimes, Beverly Rae (ed.). Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805–1942 (3rd ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-428-4.
  • Kimes, Beverly Rae (2005). SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) (ed.). Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America. Warrendale, Pennsylvania. ISBN 0-7680-1431-X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • James J. Flink: America Adopts the Automobile - 1895–1910. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1970, ISBN 0-262-06036-1
  • James J. Flink, The Automobile Age (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1988).
  • G. N. Georgano (editor): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present. 2nd edition. Dutton Press, New York 1973, ISBN 0-525-08351-0
[edit]
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