Electric Cars dominant

[Yankoslavian]

What would be the nearest POD for America to be dominated by electric, rather than internal combustion-powered, vehicles?

[DominusNovus]

Originally Posted by Yankoslavian

What would be the nearest POD for America to be dominated by electric, rather than internal combustion-powered, vehicles?

Either you put the country in the hands of idealists who don't have any sense (idealist with any sense [though thats an oxymoron] would just go after low emissions), or you eliminate oil reserves.

[Yankoslavian]

I'll make it easier: We can have "diesel" powered heavy trucks and such but electric cars are dominant.

[Diamond]

What about a collaboration between Thomas Edison and Henry Ford? Between the two of them, maybe they can come up with an 'electricar' as easy and quick to produce as the Model T.

Couple this with some event that cuts off America's supply of Middle-eastern oil, and you could have electricars as the dominant means of transportation by the 1930s. A side effect might be earlier rural electrification.

For a slightly ASB-effect, throw Tesla into the Edison-Ford mix, resulting in electricars running on wireless broadcast electricity.

[David S Poepoe]

I don't think the Middle East was exporting too much, if any, oil to the United States in the 1930s. There were probably no major oil imports by the United States until the 1950s or 60s.

Earlier breakthroughs in the design of electric batteries are necessary since in OTL thats when the electric car lost out to the internal combustion engine. However, I do think it would be fairly easy to develop hybrid cars, IC and electric battery, like the Toyota Prius.

[DuQuense]

Have a couple of the electric Car and MC makers survive till WW 2 then when rationing hits Electric cars are the car of choice.