History of Battery Electric Vehicles in 1900

Prior to 1900, battery electric vehicles held many speed and distance records, the most famous of which, was the breaking of the 100 km/h (60 mph) speed barrier. It was by Camille Jenatzy on April 29, 1899 in a rocket-shaped vehicle named Jamais Contente (Never Happy) which reached a peak speed of 105.88 km/h (65.79 mph).

During the early 20th Century, battery electric vehicles outsold gasoline powered vehicles and were successfully sold as city cars to upper-class customers. Because of high technological limitations, these cars were limited to a peak speed of about 32 km/h (20 mph). The cars were marketed as "appropriate vehicles for women drivers". Electric vehicles did not need hand-cranking to launch.