Back to the future for transport
Scottish inventor Robert Anderson invented the first crude electric carriageway back in the 1830s, and in 1842 a rechargeable battery was used for the first time.
Early vehicles were slow and impractical, but at the turn of the century, an electric racing car fom Belgian set a land speed record of 68mph.
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Hide AdThe early 1900s were the hey-dey of electric cars, which were preferred to the petrol or steam-powered alternatives as they did not produce the smell, vibration and noise of their rivals.
With a range of about 18 miles they were soon pushed aside by petrol engines.