1909 Baker Electric Coupe
The rise of the 20th century provided quiet, smooth, pollution-free electric cars that were a pretty ordinary picture on the streets in some popular cities in America. Women favored electric cars over steam- and gasoline-powered cars at that period. Women often used the electric cars for shopping, lunch breaks or going to several destinations they prefer. One of these pioneering electric cars is the 1909 Baker Electric Coupe!
“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 in an article from NYTimes.com.
Leno has restored the beauty of the 1909 Baker Electric Coupe! Now, it’s back again and still kicking!
“I have modern lead-acid batteries in the car now, but I can still run the original Edison batteries. You can just rinse them out, replace the electrolyte, and they’re ready to go. They still work fine, after almost a hundred years,” added Mr. Leno.
The car’s electric motor has the size of a regular watermelon that you can easily spot under the car that drives the rear wheels through the use of an enclosed-chain reduction system and a now-conventional driveshaft and differential.
“Since we restored it, I haven’t had to do much of anything to maintain it. We just keep it charged up, grease it now and then, and drive it. I drive it from the garage up into the Hollywood Hills every year to see the Christmas lights,” says Leno.
To read the full story, visit this link: NYTimes.com.
