Detroit Electric: The Car That Powered America's Early Roads
Detroit Electric: The Car That Powered America’s Early Roads
The Detroit Electric Car Company — initially known as the Anderson Electric Car Company — was one of the most successful electric vehicle manufacturers in American history, producing cars from 1907 to 1939. At a time when gasoline cars were loud, smelly, difficult to start, and prone to breakdown, electric cars offered something revolutionary: quiet, reliable, clean transportation that practically anyone could operate.
The Anderson Electric Car Company
The story begins not with cars, but with carriages. The W.A. Anderson Carriage Company had been building horse-drawn vehicles in Detroit since 1884. When the automobile age arrived, Anderson pivoted to electric cars, founding the Anderson Electric Car Company in 1907. The company would go on to build approximately 13,000 electric vehicles over its 32-year run — more than any other American electric car manufacturer of the era.
The company’s early catalog positioned the Detroit Electric as the premium choice for discerning buyers. Their sales pitch was straightforward: no cranking, no gear shifting, no gasoline smell, no vibration. You sat down, turned a key, and drove.
The Henry Ford Museum’s digital collections hold a remarkable archive of Detroit Electric materials including period correspondence — including a 1910 letter from the Anderson Carriage Company to Henry Ford about his wife Clara’s Detroit Electric.
The Technology
Detroit Electric cars ran on lead-acid batteries (and later, Edison nickel-steel batteries), typically achieving 60 to 80 miles per charge — more than sufficient for daily urban use. Their top speed was around 25 mph, which was plenty for city streets. The cars used a simple tiller or steering wheel, with controls no more complicated than a modern golf cart.
The Edison nickel-steel battery option, available on premium models, offered greater longevity and lighter weight than standard lead-acid packs. Thomas Edison himself was a proponent, and his battery was marketed heavily in Detroit Electric advertising.
One genuine technological distinction: Detroit Electric was the first automobile manufacturer to use curved window glass in production vehicles — a significant manufacturing achievement and a sign of the company’s commitment to quality and comfort.
Prices ranged from around $2,000 for a standard model to $4,750 for a limousine fitted with Edison nickel-steel batteries — at a time when the average annual American income was roughly $1,000. These were not cars for everyone. They were luxury vehicles for the wealthy, the professional class, and anyone who wanted reliable daily transportation without the mechanical fuss of a gasoline engine.
The Advertisements
Detroit Electric ran extensive advertising campaigns in national magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, Country Life in America, The Literary Digest, and Life. Their ads spoke directly to their target market — particularly women, physicians, and business owners who valued reliability over raw power.
The 1908 ads emphasized ease of operation: “No cranking — no odor — no vibration.” By 1913, the ads were highlighting range and the Edison battery:
By 1917, with World War I creating fuel uncertainty, the ads leaned into practicality and economy:
The Free Library of Philadelphia’s digital collection holds a striking photograph of the 1917 Detroit Electric Model 69 — well worth a look.
Notable Owners
Detroit Electric attracted some remarkable customers:
- Clara Ford — Henry Ford’s wife drove a Detroit Electric for years. Ford himself bought her one in 1914, and she reportedly preferred it to any of his gasoline cars. The irony was not lost on anyone.
- Thomas Edison — The inventor of the phonograph and pioneer of electrical systems was a Detroit Electric owner and promoted the Edison nickel-steel battery used in premium models.
- John D. Rockefeller Jr.
- Mamie Eisenhower
- Charles Proteus Steinmetz — the pioneering electrical engineer at General Electric
The car’s appeal to women was deliberate and central to the marketing. Gasoline cars of the era required hand-cranking to start — a physically demanding and sometimes dangerous process. Electric cars eliminated that entirely. Detroit Electric ads regularly featured women drivers and positioned the car as a vehicle of independence and refinement.
On the Road: The Promotional Tour
In 1919, the Anderson Electric Car Company sent a Detroit Electric on a promotional tour from Seattle to Mount Rainier — through mountain roads, not city streets — to demonstrate the vehicle’s reliability and range. The Library of Congress holds the photographs from that journey.
View the full Library of Congress record for this photograph
The Rise and Fall
The early 1910s marked peak electric vehicle popularity. Around 38 percent of American cars were electric in 1900. Detroit Electric was at the top of that market.
Then came the disruptions:
- 1912: Cadillac introduced the electric self-starter for gasoline cars, eliminating the single biggest advantage electrics held over gas — ease of starting.
- Oil discoveries in Texas and the Mid-South made gasoline cheap and widely available.
- Henry Ford’s Model T brought reliable, affordable gasoline transportation to the mass market at prices Detroit Electric couldn’t match.
- Charging infrastructure was limited to major cities, while gasoline stations were spreading everywhere.
By the early 1920s, electric car sales were a fraction of their former peak. Detroit Electric soldiered on — the company reorganized in 1920, separating its body and drivetrain manufacturing businesses and renaming itself the Detroit Electric Car Company. They continued producing small numbers of vehicles through the 1920s and into the 1930s, largely serving a niche market of urban professionals.
The stock market crash of 1929 hit hard. Detroit Electric survived, but production dwindled. By 1939, the last Detroit Electric rolled out of the factory. The era was over.
The 1914 Newspaper
I found this newspaper from 1914 in the Library of Congress Chronicling America online archives:
It’s remarkable seeing all the different manufacturers listed side by side — Detroit Electric, CycleCar, Marion, Overland — a snapshot of an industry in full competitive bloom. The Library of Congress has an excellent research guide on early electric cars in America (1891–1922) with selected newspaper articles and search strategies for digging deeper.
Contemporaries: Other Electric Cars of the Era
Detroit Electric was far from alone. The early 1900s produced a remarkable ecosystem of electric car manufacturers:
Baker Electric (1899–1915)
Built in Cleveland, Ohio by Walter Baker, the Baker was marketed as “The Aristocrat of Motordom.” Baker Electrics were known for performance — one set a land speed record in 1902 — and President William Howard Taft purchased one for the White House fleet. Learn more on Grokipedia .
Columbia Electric (1897–1913)
The first mass-produced electric automobile in the United States, built by Pope Manufacturing Company. The Columbia reached 18 mph using twin motors, a five-speed transmission, and an 88-volt battery. Antique Automobile Club of America forums are a good resource for researching these early electrics.
Waverley Electric (1898–1916)
Built in Indianapolis by the Pope-Waverley company, the Waverley was a favorite of Thomas Edison and a staple of high society garages. It evolved through several name changes — Waverley, Pope-Waverley, Silent Waverley — before production ended in 1916. Grokipedia: Waverley Electric .
Milburn Light Electric (1914–1923)
Based in Toledo, Ohio — Milburn had been building wagons since 1848. Their electric cars featured a clever innovation: roll-out battery replacement, allowing depleted battery packs to be swapped on rollers rather than waiting for a recharge. Range was up to 75 miles. When Milburn folded in 1923, Buick bought the factory. Grokipedia: Milburn Light Electric .
Woods Electric (1899–1916)
Chicago-built, the Woods Motor Vehicle Company produced electric and later hybrid-electric vehicles. Their 1917 “Dual Power” model combined a gasoline engine with an electric motor — a genuine early hybrid.
Museums and Collections
If you want to see a surviving Detroit Electric in person, several museums have them in their collections:
- Seal Cove Auto Museum (Maine) — holds a well-preserved example
- The Henry Ford Museum (Dearborn, Michigan) — extensive archive of early electric vehicle materials
- Historic New England — holds original Detroit Electric brochures and sales materials
- MotorCities National Heritage Area — excellent article on the Detroit Electric and its place in automotive history
Research & Enthusiast Resources
- Library of Congress — Early Electric Cars in America (1891–1922) — research guide with newspaper archives and search strategies
- Chronicling America — search historic newspapers for Detroit Electric coverage
- LOC: “Electric Cars Powered Up Earlier Than You Think” — Library of Congress overview article
- detroitelectric.org — enthusiast site dedicated to early Detroit Electric cars, with focus on the 1914 Model 43
- Vintage Electric Cars — 1922 Detroit Electric — specifications and photos of surviving examples
- AACA Forums — Electric Cars — active community of Milburn, Baker, Detroit Electric, and other early EV owners
Detroit Electric Is Back
Detroit Electric is now back as a modern EV company. Detroit Electric — the name revived — is building new electric vehicles under the historic brand. Whether it carries the full legacy of the original is for historians to debate, but the name endures.
The original story of Detroit Electric — from 1907 to 1939 — is a reminder that electric vehicles are not a new idea. They were the first idea. The infrastructure, the economics, and the technology of the gasoline era simply overwhelmed them for a century. Now the wheel has turned again.
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2024-08-17