With minimal modifications, you can still use one today and use it every day
Automotive propulsion is migrating from burning stuff that died millions of years ago to just using electricity, but in spite of what some automakers may tell you, this is far from a new trend. In fact, electric cars were steadily advancing in the early 1900s (when oil-based products were not yet mainstream), an era that spawned brilliant little creations like the Baker Electric.
It was built by the Baker Motor Vehicle Company (1899 – 1914) in Cleveland, Ohio, and it was available in a wide range of body types and two different size variants. In fact, the company managed to assemble some 800 examples in the year 1906, making it the largest manufacturer of electric cars in the world.
The company was eventually taken over by Detroit Electric in 1913 – 1914, but in its brief history it managed to put thousands of electric vehicles on the road.
Jay Leno is the owner of one such Baker in his collection, the Coupe version, which he’s modified to run on modern batteries while preserving everything else. He says he uses it for cruising around town and that it’s one of the lowest maintenance cars he’s ever owned; that’s one of the many impressive characteristics he highlights in the video posted below.