Yesterday we drove the 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric, and later today we’ll have a drive report for you.
But if you’d rather not wait until November or December for to buy Ford’s first-ever electric vehicle, perhaps you’d consider a slightly used electric car on eBay?
1918 Rauch & Lang electric car
1918 Rauch & Lang electric car
1918 Rauch & Lang electric car
This 1918 Rauch and Lang electric car spent its life in upstate New York, and was restored in the mid-1950s. It hasn’t run for several decades, and will need some attention.
Our Rauch & Lang history is a bit sketchy, but the car is closely related to the better-known Baker Electric. The company had merged with Baker in 1915 after the invention of the self-starter for gasoline cars with much greater range doomed the electric car in the U.S.
Similar models had 45 single-cell batteries, for a total of 90 Volts, though it’s hardly what we call a battery pack today. The technology is simple enough that getting it running shouldn’t be impossible.
Driving it is likely quite an experience, as steering is accomplished via the tiller that can be seen in the interior shot. For any other questions, contact the seller using the link on the eBay Motors listing.
The car comes with a wonderful trove of documentation, including a letter from General Electric advising against attempting to repair a rectifier GE had supplied for the car 37 years earlier.
As per eBay policy, the seller notes, “Vehicle is sold as is with no warranty or guarantee written or implied.” Indeed.
[hat tip: Nelson Ireson]
View original artcle at: “https://www.greencarreports.com//news/1042501_relic-for-sale-rauch-and-lang-electric-car-needs-work”
