It doesn’t have the range of the Sunswift 7, but this Baker Electric EV from 1909 runs a lot smoother than you may think. The electric car stands 7-feet-tall and comes equipped with twelve 6-volt batteries under the front / rear covers, six under each, to power the car’s 72-volt motor.
This particular vehicle, restored by Jay Leno, came with Edison alkaline batteries, while other Baker customers opted for the more common lead-acid batteries. The watermelon-sized electric motor is visible beneath the car and drive the rear wheels via an enclosed-chain reduction system, conventional driveshaft as well as a differential. On a single charge, expect 4-5 hours of use at about 20-25 mph.
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These were women’s shopping cars. There was no gas or oil, no fire, no explosions — you just sort of got in and you went. There were thousands of these in New York, from about 1905 to 1915. There were charging stations all over town, so ladies could recharge their cars while they were in the stores,” said Jay Leno.
