Could Queen Victoria have ridden in an EV? Take our quiz to find out...

EVs: a relatively new technology?

You might be surprised to learn that EVs actually predate petrol cars. But by how much?

Take our quick quiz to learn about how EVs EVolved. (Sorry, not sorry)

1. The first design for the ‘self-propelling carriage’
2. The Taj Mahal

Answer: The Taj Mahal

…though incredibly, only by one year!

The Taj Mahal, built as a mausoleum for Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s wife Mumtaz Mahal, was completed in 1648.

German toolmaker and inventor Hans Hautsch built a self-propelled clockwork carriage in 1649 – here’s what he had to say about it:

"It moves by itself and requires no initial preload, from a horse or anything else. The car travels 2000 paces every hour; it stops when the driver pleases, starts when the driver pleases, and works entirely on clockwork."

1. EVs with rechargeable batteries
2. The first modern Olympic Games

Answer: with rechargeable batteries

Whilst the first modern Olympic Games didn’t take place until 1896 in Athens, scientists were using rechargeable battery technology for cars as early as the 1870s.

This kicked off an early golden era for EVs. There was a huge amount of interest in the technology at the turn of the century – in the US, there were more electric cars on the road than petrol-powered, and there was even a fleet of electric taxis operating in London from 1897!

Fun fact: It was an EV that first broke the 100 km/h speed barrier. Camille Jenatzy reached a speed of 105.88 km/h (65.79 mph) in his rocket-shaped vehicle Jamais Contente in 1899.

1. The first electric milk floats hit British streets
2. The outbreak of World War 2

Answer: The first electric milk floats hit British streets

Use of electric vehicles as personal cars declined after 1910 due to improvements in petrol vehicles' design, a more extensive road network, and Henry Ford’s mass production line.

However, there was still a use for EVs during this period.

Leicester-based manufacturer Morrison-Electricar built its first delivery vehicle in 1933. The original design was for a bakery, but dairies soon picked up on how useful this would be for door-to-door deliveries.

This was to prove useful when World War 2 broke out in 1939, when shortages of petrol encouraged more businesses to rely on electric delivery vehicles.

Fun fact: By the 1960s, the majority of the world’s EVs were British milk floats.

1. The launch of the Toyota Prius, the first mass-market electric hybrid
2. The Spice Girls’ debut single ‘Wannabe’ tops the charts

Answer: The Spice Girls’ debut single ‘Wannabe’ tops the charts

It’s another close one! Posh, Sporty, Baby, Scary, and Ginger released their decade-defining feel-good, girl-power pop anthem in 1996 – one year ahead of the Toyota Prius.

90s kids might not want to hear it, but the Prius was just as era-defining as the Spice Girls – or perhaps even more so. As well as becoming an early noughties fave among Hollywood A-listers (Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio were big fans), the Prius paved the way for a big EV revival in the coming years.

1. The first EV with a 200+ mile range
2. The release of the first iPhone

Answer: The release of the first iPhone

There were mobile phones before the iPhone, but the iPhone’s 2007 release completely changed the public’s ideas of what a phone could be (even if everyone was too busy playing with the pint drinking app to consider its long term impact back in the late 00s).

But Tesla’s Model S was about to have just as much impact. Released a few years later, it was similarly revolutionary for the EV industry. At the time, most EVs had ranges below 100 miles. The Model S showed the world how far EV technology had come and what it could do – and looked incredibly stylish whilst doing so.

1. The introduction of ‘ultra-rapid’ (350 kW) chargers across the UK’s motorway network
2. The first COVID lockdown
   

Answer: The introduction of ultra-rapid chargers

Yep – they were in place before 2020. The rollout of ultra-rapid chargers began around 2017, allowing drivers to charge their EV to 80% in around 30 minutes or less.

That works out at just enough time to stretch your legs, grab a coffee, and take a quick pit stop – just as you would when driving longer distances in a petrol vehicle. EVs became lots more practical for lots more people – and charging’s getting even faster today!

Whilst there is no singular inventor of the electric vehicle, many curious minds were experimenting with electric motors and batteries in the early 19th century. The internal combustion engine (as we know it) only came on the scene in 1853.

One such pioneer was Hungarian Ányos István Jedlik – his 1828 electric vehicle used one of the earliest electric motors to power it, and predates the coronation of Queen Victoria by 10 years.

So yes, Queen Victoria could have ridden in an EV, if she wanted to. It’s a fun image, right?

There’s nothing historic about the cars and technology Intelligent EV offers.

The latest EVs, with the latest tech – plus a few goodies thrown in for good measure. It’s simple, smart, and better for the planet.

With Intelligent EV you get: 

• Smart charging - save money at home and on the road with exclusive discounts on Electroverse and Octopus Energy’s smart tariffs.
• Servicing and maintenance - we’ll keep your car in top shape with servicing and maintenance included.
• Extra Octopus perks - save £500 on heat pumps and solar panels with Octopus energy and slash your energy bills further (plus more goodies when your car is delivered) - getting you that one step closer to that low-carbon home.