Here are some key milestones in the development of electric cars:
* 1832: Robert Anderson creates the first crude electric carriage.
* 1884: Scottish inventor Robert William Thomson patents a practical electric car.
* 1890s: Electric cars become popular, with several manufacturers producing them, and some even achieving speeds of 20 mph.
* Early 1900s: The rise of the gasoline engine leads to a decline in the popularity of electric cars.
* 1970s and 1980s: The energy crisis and environmental concerns lead to renewed interest in electric vehicles.
* 1990s and 2000s: Major car manufacturers start investing in electric vehicle technology.
* 2010s and 2020s: Electric cars become increasingly mainstream, with Tesla leading the way.
So while electric cars were invented in the 1830s, it wasn't until the late 20th and early 21st centuries that they really started to gain popularity and widespread adoption.
