Electric cars have been around since 1884 when the first practical electric automobile was unveiled by Thomas Parker the man who also electrified the London underground and overheard Tramways.  By 1900 38% of America’s automobiles were powered by electricity compared to 22% running on oil fuel.

In 1911 the New York Times celebrated the Electric car as ”Ideal” because it was cleaner, quieter and more economical than internal combustion engines. This was decades before concerns about global warming and carbon emissions became mainstream.

The department of energy estimates that the national power grid could power 180 million electric cars. Yet, despite electric cars being around for as long as the automobile has existed and despite our society being dependent on electricity for much longer , electric vehicles have not become the standard mode of transport and are only now emerging as a popular alternative to oil powered vehicles.

So the big question is , did electric cars fail to take hold because the technology was suppressed ? Check out this video to find out more:

After watching the video and hearing all the evidence what do you think? Have big companies been keeping us in the dark so they can make profit. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Kasim Khan, Team Spirit