1835 - The first practical electrical vehicle was built in America – a small locomotive
1835 - The basic lead-acid battery was invented for use in automobiles, and 10 years later the first successful electric automobile was built in the United States.
1900 - Of the 4,192 cars produced in the U.S., 28 percent were powered by electricity.
1920 - During the 1920s the electric car ceased to be a viable commercial product. Factors included the ability to mass-produce gasoline-powered vehicles, a new desire for longer distance travel, and lack of horsepower. The invention of the electric starter for gasoline-powered vehicles also eliminated the need for the hand crank starter
1970 - Peaking in 1973 with the Arab Oil Embargo, concerns about soaring oil prices and a growing environmental movement created a renewed interest in electric cars for consumers and producers.
1976 - Congress passed the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act. The law was intended to spur the development of new technologies including batteries, motors, and other hybrid-electric components.
2000 - A few thousand all-electric cars were produced by the big car manufacturers including Honda (EV Plus), G.M. (EV1), Ford (Ranger pickup EV), Nissan (Altra EV), Chevy (S-10 EV), and Toyota (RAV4 EV). All programs were discontinued in the early 2000s.
2008 - With gasoline prices reaching record highs of more than $4 a gallon, American automakers began to shift their production lines toward smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. Presidential candidate Barack Obama said he will push to have one million plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on America’s roads by 2015.
2009 - The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated $2 billion for the development of electric vehicle batteries and related technologies. The Department of Energy added another $400 million to fund the building of supporting infrastructure.
The Department of Energy awarded $8 billion in loans to several auto manufacturers to support the development of fuel-efficient vehicles. These loans were the first distribution from a larger $25 billion fund created under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Manufacturers begin to unveil their new all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles which should be available to consumer by late 2010.
