At Fully Charged LIVE Canada in Vancouver, one vehicle stood out not for cutting-edge tech, but for being over a century old — the 1913 Detroit Electric. Maintained and proudly displayed by Bruce Stout of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association, this historic electric car reveals just how long the vision for clean, electric mobility has existed. For automotive engineers, EV enthusiasts, and investors alike, this vintage marvel tells a compelling story of innovation, design foresight, and enduring functionality — all of which still echo in today’s electric vehicle evolution.
The Anderson Carriage Company: Electric Before It Was Cool
Anderson Carriage Company of Detroit, Michigan — once known for its craftsmanship in horse-drawn buggies — built the Detroit Electric as part of its early shift into electric automotive manufacturing. By 1912, the company had recognized the promise of electrified transport and fully committed to it. The 1913 model on display rolled out that same year as a purpose-built electric vehicle.
At the time, electric cars offered a cleaner, easier alternative to gasoline vehicles. They were especially suited for city driving. Gas-powered cars required hand cranking and released noxious fumes. In contrast, electric vehicles ran quietly, stayed clean, and were simple to operate.
These advantages made them especially popular among women — a group often ignored by early automakers. The Detroit Electric embraced this opportunity. It featured upright, enclosed cabins and driver-friendly controls tailored to their needs.
Daily Driver Through the 1960s
Incredibly, the featured 1913 Detroit Electric was used as a daily driver all the way until the mid-1960s. That’s more than five decades of regular use — a feat that few modern vehicles could claim. Its endurance is owed not just to careful preservation, but to the original engineering and durable materials used in its construction.
The original battery pack used Edison nickel-iron batteries — a heavy, low-energy-density chemistry compared to today’s lithium-ion cells. Despite their weight, these early batteries delivered impressive longevity and resilience. Engineers built them for durability, not speed or range, and they held up remarkably well under real-world use for decades.
72 Volts of History
The vehicle now runs on a 72-volt power system. This low voltage often surprises modern EV enthusiasts, who are used to 400V or even 800V platforms. Yet the Detroit Electric proves a key point. Simplicity and smart design can deliver effective performance. Higher voltage isn’t always required for reliable electric transport.
Bruce explained that half of the battery pack now powers the LED lighting system up front, a subtle yet clever way to retrofit modern lighting without compromising the vehicle’s historical integrity. This selective modernization respects the original engineering while enabling safe operation in today’s traffic conditions.
Engineering for Another Era
The Detroit Electric’s tall cabin was designed to accommodate hats and bonnets, as the typical attire of early 20th-century drivers included formal headwear. As Bruce noted with a smile, even with large hoop skirts and stiff corsets, women in that era had to contort themselves in and out of the high-clearance vehicle.
The chassis and cabin geometry reflect a user-centered design rarely seen at the time in gasoline cars. Rather than brute horsepower, this vehicle emphasized comfort, visibility, and accessibility — values that resonate with today’s shift toward user experience in vehicle design.
Lean Design, Enduring Lessons
What modern automotive engineers can appreciate in this vintage EV is the elegance of its simplicity. The Detroit Electric embodies lean design — prioritizing function, serviceability, and longevity over flash or complexity. With a modest range and speed tailored for city life, it perfectly matched its intended use case.
Its mechanical components are accessible, modular, and maintainable — principles that Munro & Associates continues to champion in today’s teardowns and cost-optimization studies. In many ways, the Detroit Electric is a blueprint for right-sized engineering that aligns technology with user needs and long-term sustainability.
Cost, Value, and Cultural Impact
At the height of its popularity, the Detroit Electric wasn’t cheap — costing between $2,000 and $3,000 in 1910s dollars, a price point that rivaled the most luxurious gas-powered vehicles of the time. But for its target demographic — urbanites who valued comfort, safety, and silence — it was worth the investment.
From a modern perspective, this positions the Detroit Electric as an early example of premium EV positioning, much like today’s Tesla Model S or Lucid Air. It served as a status symbol, a lifestyle enhancer, and a technological statement all at once.
Why This Matters to Today’s EV Evolution
Understanding the roots of EV design helps contextualize where we are today. The Detroit Electric’s longevity proves that electric mobility isn’t a passing trend but a return to form — a revival of ideas whose time has come again thanks to battery advances and digital integration.
This century-old EV also forces us to question current design norms. Why do many modern EVs still suffer from poor serviceability or excessive component complexity? Why haven’t we retained the modular, sustainable ethos of early electric platforms?
These are questions that matter not just to historians, but to automotive engineers tasked with building the next generation of durable, cost-effective EVs.
A Living Artifact and a Teaching Tool
For the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association, this 1913 Detroit Electric isn’t just a showpiece — it’s a teaching tool. It sparks conversations about battery chemistry, charging standards, range limitations, and the human-centered design choices that remain relevant today.
It also serves as an inspiration for today’s lean design advocates. Simpler doesn’t mean lesser — it often means smarter, especially when resources, cost, and long-term ownership are factored in.
Engineers, investors, and EV startups can learn a great deal from this quiet, century-old machine — about durability, about vision, and about how good design can outlive its era.
Explore More with Munro
The Detroit Electric is a perfect symbol of what Munro & Associates celebrates through expert teardown analysis and lean engineering insights — vehicles that are designed with clarity, purpose, and longevity. Whether it’s century-old EVs or state-of-the-art battery packs, Munro continues to explore how engineering choices impact cost, manufacturability, and user experience.
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