An example of an early electric vehicle, created by Parker
The first electric carriage was created in Scotland. Between 1832 and 1839, Scottish chemist Robert Anderson constructed the first crudely built prototypes of non-rechargeable battery-powered carriages. Anderson strapped a battery and an electric motor – invented in 1828 by Ányos Jedlik – to a carriage typically drawn by horses. But Anderson’s creations didn’t catch on, possibly because of the rise in steam-powered alternatives. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that more electric carriages emerged. In England, the first electric vehicles came from inventor Thomas Parker and were propelled by lead-acid batteries.