We always find it funny when people act like electric cars are some new development, but they have been around for ages! Take a look at this 1906 Bronx Electric Truck Listed here on eBay and is 1 of 2 known, parked in Manchester, NH with a starting price of $15K with reserved not met. It goes to show, electric cars have been around for along time. Special thanks to Matt K and David F for the tip and additional information!
It is believed that this was an ice delivery truck, very cool! This truck appears to be 100% complete and is sitting in a yard with many other interesting finds. Last licensed in 1913, it’s been off the road for a long while. I’d say someone has done some maintenance to it over the years, as it looks solid and things like the electric headlamps are still even working.
The original wood, hardware and GE Electric motors are still present.
Movement come from a chain drive system powered by the two GE 85 Volt electric motors.
With the metal siding exterior and interior, a rolling electric ice box really did make sense. Remember, when this truck was built electricity for refrigeration was still hard to come by. Heck, the home refrigerator hadn’t even been invented yet, it took another 12 years after this was built for for Kelvinator to introduce a viable home refrigeration unit. There are many interesting trucks in this yard and if you are in the area it might make sense, with the owner’s permission, to make an appointment for a visit. If there are other interesting vehicles available for purchase it could be a very good day!
Motor-on,
Robert
It’s also funny how until just recently lead/acid batteries were still in use and the 30 to 50 mile range didn’t improve for a hundred years.
This was another electric truck, 1909 Walker that recently sold …… http://classiccars.ws/sales/1909walkerbakerswagon/index.html
It would be nice for them to tell us what it sold for! Looks a lot like this one. Enclosed cabs for any vehicle in this time period! Just for kicks, watch this movie: “They Drive By Night”. Its about a couple of truck drivers, driving later trucks than these ice haulers, all of them have open cabs.
Something this rare with the asking price. Shouldn’t it be better stored indoors ??
What an incredible find. I’d love to know the story on this. Although, way before my time, I read, around this time, electric trucks were a very real possibility, as gas trucks were still in their infancy, and horse and wagons still made deliveries too. These were for very short distances, obviously, but I believe could go all day around town on 1 charge ( of about 12 batteries). Funny, not a lot has changed with electric vehicles. They still need a ton of batteries. Totally museum worthy.
In the late 1950’s Railway Express (the UPS of its day) had a fleet of electric trucks based at the 30th St Station (the big railway station) in Philly for making local deliveries – it made sense in a crowded downtown with lots of stop and go traffic.
Love the old Mack truck to the left of the ice truck! It would be fun to look around if I only lived nearby! ^_^
They have that old Mack listed as well. Very cool looking 1930. I too would like to know the background.
Electric vehicles were strong competitors with gas and steam in the brass and pre brass era, particularly in areas that used Edison’s direct current power in there municipal systems. It made charging simple. There are few survivors because like other great machines they fell victim to metal scrap drives to support the war efforts.
This and the Mack trucks seem to be painted the same red and green, and lots of that paint looks way too good to be 100+ years old unless the vehicles were in very good storage until recently. I wonder if these were previously restored and part of a collection which fell on hard times.
I don’t know trucks that well, but the cab on that Mack looks a lot older than 1930. More like 1913. Any BF’ers out there have an expert opinion?
I’m looking toward you over there Jay Leno!!
Just did a bit of Google Image searching and I see other Mack trucks of similar vintage which look like this, so I stand corrected. :-)
He did state the Mack had been restored one other time
IIRC Electrics outsold gas before the Model T was introduced.