The history of electric vehicles

Early

The history of electric vehicles predates our most common internal combustion engine-powered cars. Jedlik Ányos, the Hungarian inventor and engineer of the father of DC motors, first tested the electromagnetic rotating mobile device in the laboratory in 1828. American Thomas Davenport Thomas Davenport manufactured the first electric car driven by a DC motor in 1834. In 1837, Thomas obtained the first patent in the US motor industry. Between 1832 and 1838, Scotsman Robert Anderson, Robert Anderson, invented an electrically driven carriage, which was a vehicle driven by a non-rechargeable primary battery. In 1838, Robert Davidson, a Scot, invented an electrically driven train. The tram that still runs on the road today is a patent that appeared in Britain in 1840.

The history of battery electric vehicles. The world’s first electric car was born in 1881. The inventor was French engineer Gustave Truff. This was a tricycle powered by lead-acid batteries; and in 1873, it was used by British Robert Davidson. The electric vehicle invented by the primary battery as power is not included in the scope of international recognition. Later, lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and fuel cells appeared as electricity.

Mid-term

Phase 1860-1920: With the development of battery technology, the use of electric vehicles was widely used in Europe and America in the second half of the 19th century. In 1859, the great French physicist and inventor Gaston Plante invented a rechargeable lead-acid battery.

From the end of the 19th century to 1920, electric vehicles had more advantages than internal combustion engine-driven vehicles in the early automobile consumer market: no odor, no vibration, no noise, no gear shifting, and low price. This resulted in the use of steam, electric and internal combustion engines. Divide the world's auto market.

Stagnation period

1920-1990 stage: With the development of Texas Petroleum and the improvement of internal combustion engine technology, electric vehicles gradually lost their advantages after 1920. The automobile market is gradually being replaced by cars powered by internal combustion engines. Only in a few cities there are few trams and trolley buses, and a very limited number of battery cars (using lead-acid battery packs, which are used in golf courses, forklifts, etc.).

The development of electric vehicles has since stagnated for more than half a century. As the oil resources flowed to the market, people almost forgot the existence of electric vehicles. Relative to the technologies used in electric vehicles: electric drives, battery materials, power battery packs, battery management, etc., cannot be developed or used.

Recovery period

1990-present: The dwindling of petroleum resources and the serious pollution of the atmospheric environment make people pay more attention to electric vehicles. Before 1990, the use of electric vehicles was mainly promoted by the private sector. For example, a non-governmental academic organization established in 1969: World Electric Vehicle Association (World Electric Vehicle Association). The World Electric Vehicle Association organizes professional electric vehicle academic conferences and exhibitions in different countries and regions in the world every year and a half, Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition (EVS). Since the 1990s, major automobile manufacturers began to pay attention to the future development of electric vehicles and began to invest funds and technology in the field of electric vehicles. At the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 1990, the president of General Motors introduced Impact pure electric cars to the world. Ecostar used calcium-sulfur batteries for Ford in 1992, RAV4LEV for Ni-MH batteries used by Toyota in 1996, Clio of Renault in 1996, Toyota Prius hybrid sedan rolled off the assembly line in 1997, and the world's first Nissan car in 1997 Prairie Joy EV, an electric vehicle that uses lithium-ion batteries, was launched and sold hybrid Insight in 1999 by Honda Motor.

Domestic progress

As a green sunrise industry, electric vehicles have been developed in China for ten years. In terms of electric bicycles, by the end of 2010, China's electric bicycles had reached 120 million, and it was growing at an annual rate of 30%.

From the perspective of energy consumption, electric bicycles are only one-eighth of motorcycles and one-twelfth of cars.

From the perspective of space occupation, an electric bicycle occupies only one-twentieth of the space occupied by an ordinary private car.

From the perspective of development trends, the market prospects of the electric bicycle industry are still promising.

Electric bicycles have been favored by urban middle- and low-income groups for their low price, convenience, and environmental protection. From the research and development of electric bicycles to the market in small batches in the mid-1990s, the production and sales of electric bicycles in China have been increasing year by year since 2012. Due to strong demand, China's electric bicycle market has maintained rapid growth in recent years.

Statistics show that the national output in 1998 was only 54,000 units, and in 2002 it was 1.58 million units. By 2003, China’s output of electric bicycles reached more than 4 million units, ranking first in the world, with an average annual growth rate of over 120% from 1998 to 2004. . Production in 2009 reached 23.69 million vehicles, an increase of 8.2% year-on-year. Compared with 1998, it has increased by 437 times, and the development speed is quite amazing. The average annual growth rate of electric bicycle production in the above statistical years was about 174%.

According to industry forecasts, by 2012, the electric bicycle market will reach 100 billion yuan, and the market potential of electric vehicle batteries alone will exceed 50 billion yuan. On March 18, 2011, the four ministries and commissions jointly issued the "Notice on Strengthening the Management of Electric Bicycles", but in the end it became "a dead letter." This means that the electric vehicle industry is facing tremendous market survival pressure in an environment of long-term improvement, and policy restrictions will become a sharp sword for many companies to survive; and the external environment, the weak international economic environment, and the weak recovery, also make electric vehicles The export dividend of the car will be greatly reduced.

In terms of electric vehicles, the "Energy-saving and New Energy Automobile Industry Development Plan" has been clearly submitted to the State Council, and the "Plan" has been elevated to a national strategic level, aiming to set up a new bureau for the automobile industry. As one of the seven strategic emerging industries identified by the country, the planned investment of new energy vehicles in the next 10 years will reach 100 billion yuan, and the sales volume will be the largest in the world.

By 2020, new energy vehicles will be industrialized, energy-saving and new energy vehicles and key component technologies will reach the international advanced level, and the market for pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles will reach 5 million. Analysis predicts that from 2012 to 2015, the average annual growth rate of electric vehicle sales in the Chinese market will reach about 40%, most of which will come from pure electric vehicle sales. By 2015, China will become the largest electric vehicle market in Asia.