Electric revenge after 100 years? Comparing car market patterns around 1900 and 2000

During the closing years of the nineteenth century electric vehicles
(EV) outsold every other type of vehicle. Yet within ten years the electric
automobile was no more and the internal combustion engined car
predominated. Could EVs have succeeded or was the technology – in particular
the batteries – simply not good enough? As EVs make a comeback in the early
21st century some of the same problems persist. Only one manufacturer (Tesla)
has built an electric automobile capable of approaching the range of an internal
combustion engined vehicle. Most modern EVs have a range of approximately
160 kilometres, which decreases their usability in longer trips. This paper
compares the introduction of electric vehicles in the USA in the late
19th century with the early 21st century from a socio-technical transition
perspective. It discusses similarities and differences in market innovation
patterns and concludes on the chances for a successful revenge today.