This list covers documented battery-electric cars, microcars, vans, pickups and road-going trucks first completed, publicly shown, produced or placed in service between 1900 and 1999. It includes production vehicles, fleet vehicles and significant prototypes or concepts. It excludes hybrids, fuel-cell vehicles, trolleybuses, rail vehicles, aircraft, golf carts, forklifts and ordinary internal-combustion vehicles that are not identified by a distinct electric model or programme name.
“Introduced” is the earliest year in which a source clearly records a completed prototype, public debut, production, sale, lease or operational service. Because sources do not always use the word in the same way, a prototype debut may precede commercial availability. Approximate dates are marked with “c.” The list is intended as a documented historical index rather than a claim that every experimental vehicle ever built has survived in the published record.
1900–1919
Most entries in this period were marques or programmes rather than consistently named models. Many were prototypes or low-volume vehicles.
Introduced Vehicle or programme Manufacturer Sources 1900 Altha Electric Altha Auto and Power Company 1900 Andreas Sächsische Accumulatoren-Werke AG 1900 Auto-Dynamic Auto-Dynamic Company 1900 Bachelle Electric Bachelle Automobile Company 1900 California electric prototype California Automobile Company 1900 Canadian Motors electric Canadian Motors Ltd. 1900 Cantono electric carriage and tractor Eugenio Cantono 1900 Cardinet electric Compagnie Française de Voitures Électromobiles 1900 Century electric Century Motor Vehicle Company 1900 Hewitt-Lindstrom Hewitt-Lindstrom Motor Vehicle Company 1900 NW Elektromobil Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriks-Gesellschaft 1900 P & G electric prototypes Pritchetts & Gold Ltd. 1901 Ajax Electric Ajax Motor Vehicle Company 1901 Buffalo Electric Carriage Buffalo Electric Carriage Company 1901 Casler electric Benjamin G. Casler 1901 Chiquita Jenkins Automobile Company 1901 Electromobile Electromobile Company 1902 Accumulator Industries coach Accumulator Industries Ltd. 1902 Allison Spider A401 Allison 1902 Centaur Electromobile Centaur Motor Vehicle Company 1902 Charron electric Charron, Girardot & Voigt 1902 Chenhall electric Chenhalls Motor Car Ltd. 1902 Colonial Electric Colonial Carriage Company 1902 Studebaker Electric Studebaker 1902 Tribelhorn A. Tribelhorn & Cie AG 1903 Armstrong Electric M. Armstrong & Company 1903 Auto-Car electric bus and truck range Auto-Car Equipment Company 1903 Ausonia Vetture Elettriche Camona, Giussani, Turinelli & Company 1903 Birmingham electric Birmingham Electric and Manufacturing Company 1903 Clark electric A. F. Clark & Company 1903 Hagen Kölner Accumulatoren-Werke 1903 Urbanus Kölner Accumulatoren-Werke 1904 Autolet Holson Motor Patents Company 1904 Berwick Electric Berwick Auto Car Company 1904 Carter Electric Motorette Carter Electric Motorette Company 1904 Columbia electric model range Electric Vehicle Company / Columbia 1904 Columbus Electric Columbus Buggy Company 1904 Fritchle Electric Fritchle Automobile and Battery Company 1904 Pope-Waverley Pope Motor Car Company / Waverley 1904 Woods Stanhope and Victoria Woods Motor Vehicle Company 1905 Alexandra electric brougham Phoenix Carriage Company 1905 DeMars Electric DeMars Electric Vehicle Company 1905 Ekstromer Manufacturer not established in the available source 1905 Gallia Société L'Électrique 1905 Gallia Electric Gallia Electric Carriage Company 1905 Goodnow James Belcher 1905 Parsons Electric Parsons Electric Motor Carriage Company 1905 Rauch & Lang Rauch & Lang Carriage Company 1906 American Electromobile Massick Manufacturing Company 1906 American Juvenile Electric American Metal Wheel and Automobile Company 1906 Babcock Electric Babcock Electric Carriage Company 1906 Brunn Electric Brunn Carriage Manufacturing Company 1906 FRAM electric Società Anonima F.R.A.M. 1907 Byrider Electric Byrider Electric Auto Company 1907 Detroit Electric Anderson Carriage Company; later Anderson Electric Car Company 1907 Éclair electric prototype Société Anonyme des Constructions d'Automobiles l'Éclair 1907 Fulgura Bergmann Elektrizitätswerk AG 1907 Samson Electric Truck Alden-Samson Manufacturing Company 1907 Walker Electric Truck Walker Vehicle Company 1908 Aultman Electric Lorry Aultman 1908 British Electric Car British Electric Car Company Ltd. 1908 Canton Electric Canton Buggy Company 1908 Clark Electric Allen & Clark Electric Company 1908 Harper electric prototype Harper Motor Company 1909 Allgemeine Betriebs electric Allgemeine Betriebs-Aktiengesellschaft 1909 Bissell Electric prototype Bissell Electric Company 1909 British Electromobile British Electromobile Company Ltd. 1909 Broc Electric Broc Electric Vehicle Company 1909 Cleveland Electric Cleveland Electric Vehicle Company 1910 Andover Electric trucks Andover Motor Vehicle Company 1910 Dayton Electric Dayton Electric Car Company 1910 H & F Electric prototype Hovey and Foulke 1910 Ohio Electric Ohio Electric Car Company 1910 Urban Electric Urban Electric Vehicle Company 1911 Capitol Electric Washington Motor Vehicle Company 1911 Chicago Electric Chicago Electric Motor Car Company 1911 Grinnell Electric Grinnell Electric Car Company 1911 Hupp-Yeats Hupp-Yeats Electric Car Company 1912 Argo Electric Argo Electric Vehicle Company 1912 Arrol-Johnston Electric Arrol-Johnston Car Company 1912 Atlantic electric truck Atlantic Vehicle Company 1912 Buffalo Electric Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company 1912 Champion electric delivery truck Champion Electric Vehicle Company 1912 Church-Field Church-Field Motor Company 1912 Peck Electric Peck Electric Ltd. 1912 Phipps Electric Phipps Electric Company 1913 American Electric American Electric 1913 Beardsley Electric Beardsley Electric Company 1913 Carl Electric prototype Carl Electric Vehicle Company 1913 Van Auken electric truck Connersville Buggy Company 1914 American Argo American Electric Car Company 1914 American Broc American Electric Car Company 1914 American-Borland American Electric Car Company 1914 Columbian Electric Columbia Electric Vehicle Company 1914 Milburn Light Electric Milburn Wagon Company 1915 American Beauty Electric American Beauty Car Company 1915 Bartlett Electric J. C. Bartlett Company 1915 Eagle Electric Eagle Electric Automobile Company 1915 Electriquette Electriquette Manufacturing Company 1915 Menominee / Dudly Electric Menominee Electric Manufacturing Company 1916 Belmont Electric Belmont Electric Auto Company 1917 Elite electric Elitwerke AG 1919 AAA electric cars and vans Akkumulatoren-und Automobilbau AG 1919 AEM electric Société d'Application Electro-Méchanique 1919 Chautauqua Electric Chautauqua Electric Manufacturing Company 1919 Elmo British Electromobile Company Ltd.
1920–1959
Introduced Vehicle or programme Manufacturer Sources 1920 Automatic Electric Automatic Transportation Company 1920 Binghamton Electric Binghamton Electric Truck Company 1920 Slaby-Beringer (SB) SB Automobilgesellschaft mbH 1922 Chelsea Electric Wandsworth Engine Works 1923 Hawa electric Hannoversche Waggonfabrik AG 1924 AEM Electrocycle / Electrocyclette Société d'Application Electro-Méchanique 1929 Bugatti Type 52 Bugatti c. 1936 Autoette Autoette / Robert Tafel 1936 Cleco electric mini-car and van Cleco Electric Industries Ltd. 1940 Auto-Electric truck Murphy Ltd. 1940 CGE-Tudor electric Compagnie Générale d'Électricité / Tudor 1941 Peugeot VLV Peugeot 1943 Svensk Elektrobil EV12 Svensk Elektrobil AB 1947 Tama E4S-47 Tokyo Electro Automobile Company 1947 Tama EOT-47 electric truck Tokyo Electro Automobile Company 1948 Tama Junior Tokyo Electro Automobile Company 1949 Tama Senior Tama Electric Car Company 1959 Henney Kilowatt Henney Motor Company / National Union Electric Company 1959 Nu-Klea Starlite Nu-Klea Automobile Corporation / Kish-Nu-Way Industries
1960–1979
Introduced Vehicle or programme Manufacturer Sources 1964 GM Electrovair I General Motors 1965 Scottish Aviation Scamp Scottish Aviation 1966 GM Electrovair II General Motors 1966 Mars I Electric Fuel Propulsion Corporation 1967 AMC Amitron American Motors Corporation / Gulton Industries 1967 Ford Comuta Ford Motor Company 1967 Mars II Electric Fuel Propulsion Corporation 1969 Rambler American electric prototype American Motors Corporation / Gulton Industries 1970 Nissan 315X Nissan 1970 EFP Hornet Electric Fuel Propulsion Corporation 1970 Mars Van Electric Fuel Propulsion Corporation 1971 Electrosport Electric Fuel Propulsion Corporation 1972 BMW 1602 Elektro-Antrieb BMW 1973 EFP X-144 / Gremlin Electric Electric Fuel Propulsion Corporation 1973 Enfield 8000 Enfield Automotive 1973 Nissan EV4-P Nissan 1974 CitiCar Sebring-Vanguard 1974 Jeep DJ-5E Electruck AM General 1974 Zagato Zele / Elcar Zagato 1975Gurgel ItaipuGurgel c. 1976 GM Electrovette General Motors 1977 AMC Electron American Motors Corporation / Gulton Industries 1978 EVA Change of Pace Electric Vehicle Associates 1978 EFP Transformer I Electric Fuel Propulsion Corporation 1979 Chrysler ETV-1 Chrysler Corporation / General Electric 1979 Comuta-Car Commuter Vehicles Inc. 1979 Comuta-Van Commuter Vehicles Inc. 1979 Solargen Electric AMC Concord Solargen Electric Motor Car Company
1980–1999
Introduced Vehicle or programme Manufacturer Sources 1980 KurbWatt Grumman c. 1981 Volkswagen Golf I CitySTROMer prototype Volkswagen 1984 Volkswagen Golf II citySTROMer Volkswagen / RWE 1985 Nissan EV Resort Nissan 1985 Sinclair C5 Sinclair Vehicles 1987 CityEl / Mini-El El Trans A/S 1987 Nissan March EV-2 Nissan 1989 Autobianchi Y10 Electrica Fiat / Autobianchi 1989 VAZ-111E AvtoVAZ 1990 Citroën C15 Électrique Citroën / PSA 1990 Citroën C25 Électrique Citroën / PSA 1990 Fiat Ducato Elettra Fiat 1990 Fiat Panda Elettra Fiat / Steyr-Puch 1990 GM Impact concept General Motors / AeroVironment 1990 Peugeot J5 Électrique Peugeot / PSA 1990 ELCAT electric van family ELCAT 1991 BMW E1 (Z11) BMW 1991 Kewet Kewet 1991 Nissan President EV Nissan 1991 Nissan FEV concept Nissan 1991 Solectria Force Solectria Corporation 1992 Dodge EPIC concept Chrysler / Dodge 1992 Fiat Cinquecento Elettra Fiat 1992 Ford Ecostar Ford Motor Company 1993 BMW E1 (Z15 electric) BMW 1993 Chrysler TEVan / Dodge Caravan Electric / Plymouth Voyager Electric Chrysler Corporation 1993 Citroën AX Électrique Citroën / PSA 1993 Fiat Downtown concept Fiat 1994 Nissan Avenir EV Nissan 1994 PIVCO PIV2 PIVCO 1994 Škoda/Tatra Beta electric Škoda ELCAR Ejpovice 1994 Fiat ZIC concept Fiat 1994 Peugeot Ion concept Peugeot 1995 Nissan FEV-II concept Nissan 1995 Peugeot 106 Électrique Peugeot / PSA / Heuliez 1995 PIVCO City Bee / Citi PIVCO 1995 Renault Clio Électrique Renault 1995 Renault Express Électrique Renault 1996 AC Propulsion tzero AC Propulsion 1996 General Motors EV1 General Motors 1996 Nissan Prairie Joy EV Nissan 1996 Fiat Zicster concept Fiat 1996 Toyota RAV4 EV (three-door) Toyota 1997 Chevrolet S-10 EV Chevrolet / General Motors 1997 Citroën Saxo Électrique Citroën / PSA 1997 Honda EV Plus Honda 1997 Toyota RAV4L V EV (five-door) Toyota 1997 Toyota e-com Toyota 1998 Citroën Berlingo Électrique Citroën / PSA 1998 Ford Ranger EV Ford Motor Company 1998 Nissan Altra EV Nissan 1998 Peugeot Partner Électrique Peugeot / PSA 1998 Zytek Lotus Elise Zytek / Lotus 1999 Corbin Sparrow Corbin Motors 1999 Fiat Seicento Elettra Fiat 1999 Nissan Hypermini Nissan
See also
History of the electric vehicle Electric vehicle List of production battery electric vehicles Timeline of transportation technology Electric vehicles introduced in the 19th century
References
Further reading