When Electric Cars Were for Women

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Briefings

In the early 20th century, electric cars were marketed to women as a differentiating factor against steam and gasoline vehicles, with General Electric promoting this via ads featuring women charging cars. Early adopter Fannie Goodnow used a 1908 Bailey Victoria Phaeton equipped with a mercury-arc rectifier to charge an Edison alkaline battery. The carmaker Samuel Robinson Bailey pivoted from carriage manufacturing to electric vehicles in 1906 after the carriage industry collapsed. Peter Cooper Hewitt invented the mercury-arc rectifier, which converted AC to DC for charging, though the specific reason for Goodnow's choice remains unrecorded.

Key points

General Electric created advertisements featuring stylishly dressed women plugging in their cars to promote electric chargers based on mercury-arc rectifiers.

Fannie Goodnow used a 1908 Bailey Victoria Phaeton with an Edison alkaline battery and a mercury-arc rectifier to charge the vehicle in the Boston area.

Context

The article explores how electric cars were marketed to women in the early 20th century, noting that General Electric promoted this trend through ads featuring women charging cars. It details the technical setup of early electric vehicles, including the use of mercury-arc rectifiers and Edison batteries, and mentions the collapse of the carriage industry in 1906 as a factor in the shift toward electric automobiles.

Limitations

The source provides no information on why Fannie Goodnow specifically chose an electric car over other options, nor does it specify the exact location of the carmaker Samuel Robinson Bailey's business operations beyond the Boston area.

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