At the turn of the 20th century the U.S. auto industry grew from about 50 makers in 1898 to 181,000 vehicles by 1910. Electric cars competed with steam and gasoline models, each facing range and infrastructure hurdles. Early EVs were simple to start—no hand crank, no loud exhaust—making them appealing to new drivers.
Makers saw an opportunity to market electric cars to women, emphasizing quiet operation and ease of use. General Electric produced chargers using mercury‑arc rectifiers and featured ads of women plugging in their cars. A notable early adopter was Fannie Goodnow, who owned a 1908 Bailey Victoria Phaeton and charged it with a GE mercury‑arc unit.
The rectifier, invented by Peter Cooper Hewitt, turned grid AC into the DC needed for batteries. It acted as a diode, vaporizing a small amount of mercury in a glass tube and allowing one‑direction current flow. Charging a drained battery took about 12 hours. The vehicle was built by S.R. Bailey & Co. of Amesbury, Mass., originally a carriage maker turned auto producer.
Historians such as Galen Handy now preserve these stories, illustrating how women’s early adoption helped shape the EV market and how the mercury‑arc rectifier pioneered modern charging technology.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing