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Historians, Hobbyists and the Electric Vehicle
A Panel Discussion Open to the Public
at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the History of Technology
Double Tree Hotel - 191 North Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, California October 19, 1997
- Why did the electric car fail, and why does it keep coming back?
- Is the era of the electric vehicle finally at hand?
- Where does the electric vehicle fit into American technological culture?
- How do we as individuals shape the history of technology?
- What does it mean that companies like GM and Honda are now making electric vehicles?
- How does owning and driving an electric vehicle influence your answers to these questions?
As we enter the late 1990s, asking people what they think of electric cars is like a Rorschach test: the responses may tell you a great deal about the person, but precious little about the technology, its past or its future. The electric vehicle has become a cultural football tossed back and forth between competing visions of the American future. To some, mentioning the electric vehicle induces paroxysms of anxiety about government meddling in the free market for technology. Others see the electric vehicle as the soft path into the next millennium, the green escape from the petroleum economy. Still others see the electric car as the new technological frontier; they are focused on the novelty of the technology-the possibility of building new industries and markets-and are less concerned with the social and environmental consequences of this potentially revolutionary technology. Finally, a small but devoted group views the electric vehicle as their own means of transportation; since the late 1960s these hobbyists have built and driven their own electric cars. Since December 1996, a few hundred intrepid drivers have leased vehicles from major automotive manufacturers like GM and Honda.
In the best spirit of public education, this panel attempts to reconcile present disagreements through thoughtful exploration of the past. Interested hobbyists and electric vehicle enthusiasts are invited to participate in a dialogue with historians of technology. By contrasting differing explanations for the role of the automobile in American society, we will try to shed light on the uncertain position of the electric vehicle. This panel is part of an ongoing research project using the World Wide Web to study the history of technology. The proceedings of this panel discussion will be made available for general access via the Web, and it is hoped that the conversation will be continued online.
Panelists:
Margaret Crawford
Southern California Institute of Architecture
David Kirsch, Moderator
University of California, Los Angeles
Clay McShane
Northeastern University
Gilbert Mom
HTS-Autotechniek, Netherlands
Matthew Roth
Southern California Automobile Club
Michael Schiffer
University of Arizona
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