While touring through the Denver State Museum yesterday - I stumbled onto a most interesting car. You all know how I enjoy electric vehicles - they are so quiet - clean - and efficient. The Fritchle was way ahead of its time boasting a 100 mile range in 1905.
In the early 1900's - the electric car was very popular with women mainly because you never had to get out to crank start it. Oliver Fritchle who was from Ohio - moved to Denver and made an electric car with incredible range. Not only did he build the cars - he also built the batteries.
The Fritchle had a battery weighing around 500 pounds and a small 8 horsepower electric motor. The car was controlled by switching the motor on and off as needed. Its elegance was its simplicity. It was steered by a tiller - but one feature way ahead of its time was the braking system. When you applied the brakes - the wheels served as a generator to charge the battery adding even more range.
To market the car - Frichle drove it from Nebraska to New York City. He averaged 90 miles per day on roads that in most cases proved to be unpaved horse paths. This is remarkable enough but that he did it in November when cold weather saps the battery's power - the trip seems almost miraculous today.
Fritchle built the cars and batteries in Denver and sold about 1800 cars during the 10 years he produced them. Several things lead to the car's demise. First - his car cost $2000 so when Ford produced the Model T for $700 - people chose cheap over efficient. Second - the country did not develop a network where batteries could be charged. One had to use the car only within 50 miles of home so they could return for a re-charge. Finally - when the electric starter was invented for the gasoline engine - cars no longer required the dangerous task of crank starting.
There are only a few working Fritchle's existing today. Jay Leno - the TV entertainer owns one and drives it regularly. His wife says that it is her favorite car because she can sneak up on wildlife because the car is so quiet. The car in the Colorado National Museum is working fine 100 years later. The owner loaned it to the museum and drove it there personally from his home.
In 1923 - Fitchle built the first hybrid car - it had a small gasoline engine to recharge the batteries if one got stranded away from home. He also marketed and sold 80 windmill generating systems to make electricity for this car and also for people that lived far from the power grid.
I presently own an electric scooter/bicycle that goes 20 mph and gets 40 miles on a charge. It may have a fancy controller and the engine is constructed right in the wheel hub - but it does not come close to matching Fritchle's range and comfort.
I was a science teacher for 33 years and one of my pet subjects was electric vehicles. PPL - the local power company in Pennsylvania had a prototype electric car that they would bring to my school to take the kids for rides. In 1974 - a company called Citicar marketed a glorified golf cart that went 25 miles at 25 mph. They sold a couple thousand - but could never compete with the power - speed - and range of gasoline powered car.
Fritchle was ahead of his time. If our colleges and government would work on finding a better battery - we could all be driving an electric car that is as quiet - dependable - and non-smelly as Fritchle's was in 1905.
As I type this story at my hotel - I can see the quiet hybrid city buses going up and down the main street - 16th Street Mall - in downtown Denver. Fritchle would have been proud.
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Click on the headline to see the original story about Fritichle's trip to New York City.
1 comment:
To bad that I didn't know that you were on your way out to Denver.
My sister Carol lives in that town. She would have loved to see you and Nan after all these years.
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