The Development of Electric Vehicles in the Automotive Sector The history of electric vehicles (EVs) begins in the early 1800s and is a fascinating journey. Inventors such as Robertcluster slots Anderson began experimenting with the idea of using electricity for propulsion in the 1830s, producing rudimentary electric carriages. But electric cars didn't start to become popular until the late 1800s. Interest in electric transportation began in 1890 when William Morrison constructed a six-passenger wagon that was run by a number of electric batteries.