Woods Model 1216

In 1900, one-third of all cars on American roads were electric because they numerous advantages over gas and steam powered cars. The electric cars made less noise, were easy to drive, and did not have foul smelling exhaust. Many women preferred electrics because they did not need to be hand-cranked to start like gasoline cars. With these benefits, numerous automakers and inventors explored making electric cars including Ferdinand Porsche, Thomas Edison, and even Henry Ford!
Among the electric car makers was the Woods Motor Vehicle Company of Chicago Illinois, founded by Clinton E. Woods, the son of a Massachusetts coachmaker. Woods was an MIT-trained electrical engineer who converted his professional skills into his passion for cars by developing an electric car in the late 1890s. He launched Woods Motor Vehicle in 1899 with funding from illustrious investors like August Belmont, Jr. By 1905, Woods’ Chicago factory produced 500 cars per year.
Although Ford considered building electric cars, it was his famous Model T that killed the electric car market in the early 1900s. In 1912, the same year Woods built this Electric car, the Model T cost $650 while this Woods cost $3000. This was also the first year electric starters were available on cars, which made hand-cranking a car unnecessary. As a network of reliable gas stations spread across the country, it became much easier to refill the gas tank than to recharge a battery. By 1919, Woods Motor Vehicle Company was out of business.