It’s hard to say exactly how far back electric vehicles date, but it’s further than you might think. We know that people were at least experimenting with electric-powered carriages in the early 19th Century, and the first vehicle that fits the modern definition, with a fully self-contained propulsion system, would probably be an English tricycle fitted with a Siemens motor by French inventor Gustave Trouvé in 1881. Since then, the segment has developed in bits and pieces, step by step. A more efficient electric motor here, a faster-charging battery system there.
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