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Electric cars -- Back to the future?

Bennington Banner -- MANCHESTER -- Here’s a little known historical nugget of information that might come in handy the next time you want to impress someone about the wide range of your knowledge of automobiles -- was the first police car in the United States powered by gasoline or electricity? As you may have already guessed, it’s a bit of a trick question. If you said gasoline, you’d be wrong.

As part of his sweeping study of the age of petroleum, Daniel Yergin, one of the nation’s foremost energy experts and the author of last year’s best seller "The Quest," delves into a subset of the history of automobile manufacturing, and unearths that the Akron, Ohio Police Department, in 1899, owned the very first police cruiser in the nation. It was powered by an electric battery, not an internal combustion engin

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Submitted Jun 27, 2012 By: aservant

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NanaNJNJ Veteran Author New Jersey Posts:280 Points:56,025 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jun 28, 2012 12:26:06 AM Ignore NanaNJNJ Report Abuse Flux capacitor is fluxing at fullest capacity.
bigthighs All-Star Author Tucson Posts:550 Points:52,965 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 10:49:39 PM Ignore bigthighs Report Abuse yep
evowner Champion Author Salem Posts:2,162 Points:355,355 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 7:42:10 PM Ignore evowner Report Abuse I think the Portland electric buses wore out and they wanted to cut budget costs by buying used diesel buses. You can imagine how foresighted that decision was.
kkimes Champion Author Illinois Posts:1,590 Points:1,502,915 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 7:33:12 PM Ignore kkimes Report Abuse "Why did Portland's electric buses quit running?" I give up. Why did the Portland electric buses quit running? Sounds like the start of a Johnny Carson joke.
schatzila Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:4,929 Points:1,012,620 Joined:Jun 2010	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:54:17 PM Ignore schatzila Report Abuse Isn't that special?
leemun Champion Author Utah Posts:5,513 Points:1,036,125 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:43:13 PM Ignore leemun Report Abuse They didn't work out well back then either. History repeats itself.
evowner Champion Author Salem Posts:2,162 Points:355,355 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 11:23:05 AM Ignore evowner Report Abuse Reading about the history of electric buses in Portland, they're several reasons they were abandoned in the 50's. The system needed replacement because it was worn out, it's technology was dated, the system needed expansion because of population growth, and petrolium energy was cheap. [Edited by: evowner at 6/27/2012 11:23:26 AM EST]
coughlin Champion Author San Jose Posts:5,170 Points:1,114,940 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 9:44:50 AM Ignore coughlin Report Abuse pg&e
Norm10 Champion Author British Columbia Posts:3,332 Points:162,475 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 9:35:49 AM Ignore Norm10 Report Abuse It should be in a museum with the rest of the electric cars.
sljbc475 Champion Author Tucson Posts:4,200 Points:869,125 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 8:37:22 AM Ignore sljbc475 Report Abuse Still lagging behind hybrids.
bar1035 Champion Author Charlotte Posts:9,135 Points:1,294,445 Joined:Aug 2006	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 8:10:53 AM Ignore bar1035 Report Abuse "Daniel Yergin, one of the nation’s foremost energy experts" what a joke that line is. Much like Euge
Eugenian Champion Author Oregon Posts:1,842 Points:358,130 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 8:06:34 AM Ignore Eugenian Report Abuse Lots of Luddites/oil company stockholders posting here again, I see.
ClarkSC Champion Author South Carolina Posts:3,063 Points:1,008,480 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 7:58:25 AM Ignore ClarkSC Report Abuse No immediate future.
batloverNM Champion Author Albuquerque Posts:3,938 Points:1,393,365 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 7:57:31 AM Ignore batloverNM Report Abuse Go electric! It will piss off a conservative.
58salty Champion Author Jacksonville Posts:6,594 Points:626,865 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 7:39:44 AM Ignore 58salty Report Abuse Yawn
paulsond Sophomore Author Maryland Posts:237 Points:506,920 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 7:33:07 AM Ignore paulsond Report Abuse Everything old is new again.
Rockyguitar Champion Author Tampa Posts:2,552 Points:1,198,995 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 7:28:48 AM Ignore Rockyguitar Report Abuse Not for me...yet.
MImusicman Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,858 Points:404,750 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 6:42:10 AM Ignore MImusicman Report Abuse Nope...back to the past.
pscamp Champion Author Ottawa Posts:3,256 Points:472,110 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 6:27:07 AM Ignore pscamp Report Abuse k
leeac Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,581 Points:430,980 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 6:26:22 AM Ignore leeac Report Abuse Golf cart police cars?
Joeski1 Champion Author New Jersey Posts:9,978 Points:1,738,910 Joined:Dec 2004	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 6:15:47 AM Ignore Joeski1 Report Abuse Im getting my bell bottoms out to get in style with all those retro 60's mustangs, camaros, and chargers driving around... then I'll look just as cool as them owners too....
Joeski1 Champion Author New Jersey Posts:9,978 Points:1,738,910 Joined:Dec 2004	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 6:14:18 AM Ignore Joeski1 Report Abuse so it's really "back to the past" ?
KE4YBZ All-Star Author Knoxville Posts:578 Points:555,885 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 5:40:35 AM Ignore KE4YBZ Report Abuse I think we just aren't at the technology level we need to be at, when it comes to electric vehicles... just yet...
OTISFL Champion Author Pensacola Posts:4,595 Points:862,890 Joined:Apr 2009	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 5:04:26 AM Ignore OTISFL Report Abuse Interesting, wonder how far they could go on a charge?
molebaby96 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:2,120 Points:502,820 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 4:57:51 AM Ignore molebaby96 Report Abuse Unable to develop a better way to store electricity.
OHMS Champion Author Orange County Posts:13,701 Points:1,688,855 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 3:39:33 AM Ignore OHMS Report Abuse Why did Portland's electric buses quit running?
Amplion Champion Author Oregon Posts:6,748 Points:1,861,325 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 3:26:25 AM Ignore Amplion Report Abuse PORTLAND OREGON ONCE HAD A GOOD NUMBER OF ELECTRIC BUSES. NOW THE HAVE NONE.
1WI All-Star Author Appleton Posts:818 Points:274,255 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 3:23:04 AM Ignore 1WI Report Abuse I'll keep my gas vehicle.
SilverDodge2000 Champion Author Spokane Posts:1,036 Points:185,390 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 3:16:29 AM Ignore SilverDodge2000 Report Abuse Yes a lot of the early car were electric. Do to limited range and recharge time they converted to other energy sources. Gasoline, steam, kerosene, diesel, oil. A lot of options out there.
bisonjim Champion Author Florida Posts:1,039 Points:203,305 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 3:01:13 AM Ignore bisonjim Report Abuse Wonder what the electric car range was in 1900?
granitestater Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:8,805 Points:1,427,825 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 1:29:07 AM Ignore granitestater Report Abuse Electric cars require significantly more power in winter and summer to heat and cool them. And especially more in southern summers and northern winters. Battery life and therefore mileage becomes problematic...
MusicalMan7 All-Star Author Ohio Posts:597 Points:93,330 Joined:Apr 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 1:29:03 AM Ignore MusicalMan7 Report Abuse I want an electric car that looks like a DeLorean so I can drive it exactly 88 miles per hour.
granitestater Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:8,805 Points:1,427,825 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 1:21:09 AM Ignore granitestater Report Abuse There's a reason electric cars were passed by ICE cars. ICE cars don't have built-in electric chairs...
Liefhebber Champion Author Chicago Posts:2,333 Points:363,325 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 1:13:46 AM Ignore Liefhebber Report Abuse I saw in the Tesla articles that you can build a solar panel which acts like a car port for your EV and charge it at the same time.
johnd900 Veteran Author Massachusetts Posts:475 Points:192,305 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 1:01:33 AM Ignore johnd900 Report Abuse I'm with mcmonsta - electrics get fueled up from where again? Oh yeah fossil fuel electric plants. Unless you're lucky enough to get power from a nuke plant. Want to be green? Get a bicycle, just stay the hell to the side of the road! haha...
jl1rp Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:1,796 Points:353,620 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:57:11 AM Ignore jl1rp Report Abuse no electric car for me.
TheHermit Champion Author Maine Posts:3,404 Points:127,030 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:48:31 AM Ignore TheHermit Report Abuse "Electric cars will get better, less expensive, just like computers have done," Hand said. "If there’s demand for the product, it’s going to happen." Let's all hope he is right.
vdub61 Rookie Author Los Angeles Posts:29 Points:96,965 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:43:08 AM Ignore vdub61 Report Abuse Not for me I hate waiting for a full charge.
Night Owl Champion Author Toronto Posts:7,535 Points:1,783,575 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:40:30 AM Ignore Night Owl Report Abuse Electric cars had a limited cruising range back then and even Thomas Edison couldn't develop a competitive car battery. Electric cars still have a limited cruising range. Let's hope a competitive car battery can finally be developed.
too_darned_high Sophomore Author Indianapolis Posts:211 Points:333,110 Joined:Apr 2012	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:38:12 AM Ignore too_darned_high Report Abuse And just like in the early 1900s, electric vehicles lost ground to internal combustion engines because the ICEs were: a) cheaper, b) easier and faster to fill up to power, and c) travelling much farther per full tank. In a hundred years, things really haven't changed all that much, have they?
52MPG Champion Author Dayton Posts:7,247 Points:1,738,780 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:34:44 AM Ignore 52MPG Report Abuse On board electric generators are what is needed.
mpg611 Champion Author Cleveland Posts:2,316 Points:566,170 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:33:36 AM Ignore mpg611 Report Abuse Electric cars STILL have a limited cruising range.
GigHarborHound Champion Author Tacoma Posts:2,517 Points:484,490 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:30:20 AM Ignore GigHarborHound Report Abuse No!!!
RAE344 Champion Author Virginia Beach Posts:3,049 Points:657,845 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:28:36 AM Ignore RAE344 Report Abuse Electric cars have been around for a long time.
gamalerin Champion Author Tampa Posts:4,732 Points:989,510 Joined:Jul 2010	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:26:04 AM Ignore gamalerin Report Abuse If you have money!!!
jrschl Champion Author Louisville Posts:2,952 Points:677,840 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:26:01 AM Ignore jrschl Report Abuse Amazing.
DTrainCanada Champion Author Saskatoon Posts:1,848 Points:1,418,075 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:25:00 AM Ignore DTrainCanada Report Abuse Who knows ...
jetskijerry Champion Author North Carolina Posts:3,881 Points:769,345 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:24:52 AM Ignore jetskijerry Report Abuse Not perfected yet.
rxman1 Champion Author Toledo Posts:9,529 Points:1,858,970 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:24:40 AM Ignore rxman1 Report Abuse Did Dayton have the first police bicycles?
Buddy2264 Champion Author Tampa Posts:11,639 Points:2,357,045 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2012 12:23:56 AM Ignore Buddy2264 Report Abuse Interesting information, I once lived in that area.