The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance - opens in new window or tab. in northern Florida is one of the world’s pre-eminent classic car shows. It’s second in the US only to the august Pebble Beach event. And it’s definitely not usually an electric car show. But this year, EVs were front and center at the May 23 event.
The show displayed vintage battery-powered cars from the first era (1898-1920) and EVs from current automakers and startups. Electric vehicles got the attention of the often-affluent collectors in attendance.
New Electrics from Hummer, Lucid, Porsche…
Currently, there are no electric pickups on the market. But at least seven will soon be introduced - opens in new window or tab.—from Ford, General Motors, Lordstown, Rivian, and Tesla.
And then there’s Bollinger, which is launching a $125,000 B2 battery pickup with a spartan interior and lots of off-road capability.
Bollinger B2 (Photos by Jim Motavalli)
The company had a big presence at Amelia Island. Mark Foster, Bollinger’s brand director, said:
We’re finally getting our trucks in front of people, and it really helps to see them in person.
The company will start production in 2022, with delivery in 2023.
Lucid Motors is launching the Air - opens in new window or tab., an upscale electric car that wants to take on Tesla. The Air is priced between $77,400 and $169,000. We asked a spokesperson what visitors to the Amelia Island Concours wished to know. He replied:
They want the price point and the range, and how our car is different from Tesla.
They were wowed by that range, which is up to 517 miles.
Lucid Air
Porsche showcased its Taycan electric - opens in new window or tab., and General Motors displayed its Hummer electric pickup and SUV. BMW introduced its electric Mini Cooper SE - opens in new window or tab., with an attractive price point of $29,900.
Rapid Advances with EV Batteries
Volkswagen long championed diesels, but at Amelia, its stand featured the new and attractively priced ID4 EV. VW also showed an unrestored 1979 Elektrotransporter (see the photo at the top of this post). It's one of 120 built for the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The Microbus-based vehicle shows the progress made with batteries. The Electrotransportorer from nearly four decades ago only offered 23 horsepower, 35 miles of range, and a 44 mile per hour top speed from their 25.9-kilowatt-hour lead-acid packs.
VW’s ID4 offers 250 miles of range.
By contrast, the ID4 will have 250 miles of range in a first edition that starts at $43,995. Deliveries begin in the late fall. Only Lexus, among the moderns, didn’t appear to have an EV on the stand.
The Previous Era of EVs
But that was just the new cars. A special section at Amelia Island showcased the golden era of EVs. The Waverly marque was popular, with others including “Diamond Jim” Brady, Thomas Edison, and Willa Cather. The 1910 Stanhope on exhibit was driven by a tiller from the back seat. There was also a much earlier 1901 example from the company’s first year.
1910 Waverly Stanhope electric vehicle
Milburn built 4,000 electric cars, and one of them was used by Woodrow Wilson’s Secret Service. A 1921 example was on display.
Baker was a prominent EV company, and TV’s Wayne Carini - opens in new window or tab. owned the 1909 Victoria Roadster on display. Detroit Electric, represented by a very late 1922 model, produced 12,000 EVs between 1907 and 1939—by which time EVs were mainly gone from the scene.
Wayne Carini’s 1909 Baker Victoria Roadster
Other long-gone companies with cars shown at Amelia Island included Studebaker and Woods, plus an 1895 Morris & Salom Electrobat IV from 1895. It might be the oldest EV in existence—and still capable of 20 mph.
Many of the older EVs are going back on the road, thanks (often) to the easy availability of lead-acid golf cart batteries. eBay supports keeping legacy electric vehicles on the road by selling golf-cart batteries - opens in new window or tab. as well as modern EV batteries - opens in new window or tab..
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