Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-14
ELECTRIC CARS
HAVE A PLACE
DECLARED TO BE THE IDEAL
CITY MACHINE
HAYDEN EAMES is IMPARTIAL IN
DISCUSSING SUBJECT
A Lot of People Do Not Understand
Difference Between Two Glasses
of Vehicles Until They
Study 1t


Study 1t
Are you one of those who say, I'D
rather have a gasoline car than an
electric?" If you are, you expose a
deplorable ignorance of the uses OF
the two types of motor vehicles, ac-
cording to Hayden Eames, general
manager of the Studebaker company,
and admittedly the one man who can
be considered an authority on both
gasoline and electric, since he is equally
interested in the welfare of each.
To quote Mr.. Eames further: IF |
were to say to you L had rather have
a business suit than a tuxedo, your
natural query would be, For what oc-
caSiOn? Would it not? Now gasoline
and electric cars do not compete any
more than business and evening dress
do. Each is designed for d different
purpose and far from being rivals, they
are for the most part allies That so
many persons, otherwise well Informed,
are guilty of the bull quoted, is the
best proof that there are a lot of peO-
pie who do not understand the essen
tial difference between the two classes
of vehicles, nor have the fine under
standing enc should have of the quail
ties and the adaptabilities of each.
The electric is the city car par eX-
cellence.. AS d substitute for the tour
ing car it is a lamentable failure. It's
sphere is bounded by the area of the
paved streets
Nor is the too common idea that
the scope of the electric is confined to
ladies' use correct. On the contrary,
while it is the only type of motor We
hicle d lady ever should drive, be-
cause of its simplicity, its lack of me-
chanical complications and above all,
its immaculateneSS, yet its larger field
is in the every day service of the bust
ness man.
Nowhere, perhaps, are the distinc-
tions between the gasoline and cleo
trio car more clearly drawn than in
my home city, Cleveland. Cleveland
owns more electrics than St. Louis, a
city many times larger, owns more of
every type of car, gasoline, steam and
electric. That's rather surprising, isn't
it?
"Over 1000 electric pleasure vehicles
in a city of 500, 900 is a record, | think
Now nine-tenths of the men who own
those 1000 electrics also own gasoline
cars-usually high powered touring ma
chimes
Il think it could be laid down as an
axiom that an electric car is an econ
omy to any man owning a touring car
worth $4,000 or over Such - vehicle is
quite as unSuited to city work as the
electric is for country touring. To
drive a car weighing one and one-half
or two tons through cOngested streets,
stopping, starting, Stacking pace and
accelerating to weave a way through
the traffic; shifting gears once or twice
in every block length; is to subject
brakes, clutch, gears and tires to the
most severe stresseS-and it shows up
in the annual repair and replacement
bills in a manner that is appalling.
Total it UP to the end of a t elve
month. You'll find your car has de-
Perforated so PER cent in the year un-
less your chauffeur is more careful
than the average. Then You'll come to
realize that $500 electric would have
paid for itself in the year in actual
dollars economy, to say nothing of its
many other advantages in city service
Nov consider that you have supple
mented your garage equipment with a
serViceabl electric and a home charg-
ing outfit You'll find that 20 per cent
VIII more than cover the annual depre-
citation of a good gasoline car when
used for the service it is desired to per
form-cOuntry driving. Five per cent
will cover it in the case of some cars ]
could name. The maid or the gardener
puts in the plug and starts the re-
charging process while you are al
breakfast or enjoying your morning
paper. When you are ready. also is
the car. There is no tinkering to do
no cTanking, nothing to soil gloves OF
clothes You get in, push a lever ano
as gently as you could desire, start fol-
business. The electric is motor rather
should not be-a racer. Seventeen tC
twenty miles an hour would have YOU
arrested in any well regulated suburb
so that is as fast as you could go in g
gasoline car, till you reach the heavy
traffic. From then on the electric is
speedier. Being more flexible in con-
troll, more nimble and agile because OF
its shorter wheel base it will worm its
way through the traffic at a much
faster rate than the cumbersome tour
ing car possibly could. This has beer
demonstrated time and time again iT
races between electric and gasoline
cars in busy streets, where frequent
stops were necessary. and traffic regu-
lations and the safety of pedestrians
had to be regulated.
Few people realize how rapidly rub
her is ground off tires on heavy tour
ing car of long wheel base by the fire.
quent releasing of the clutch. changing
of gears, efforts of stopping and start
ing, and the still more wicked grinding
consequent on turning sharply to avoid
or to circumvent street cars and wag-
ons. It is the chief item in the years
maintenance bill.
"A set of tires that will stand 1OO0C
miles of touring on average roads will
go to pieces in 1000 miles of city work.
'Now the electric is free from al
this 1t starts gradually and stops with
small effort because its speed is at nc
time great.
"One of the factors that have re-
tarded a proper understanding of the
electric was the facilities or means fol
charging the batteries home To main
tain car at a garage costs $25 to S3(
per month, and there is the incon-
venience Of having to telephone for il
whenever needed and sending it back
at night for recharging. This condition
no longer obtains. The rectifier has
revolutionized all that. This device fol-
Transforming the ordinary electric cur
rent and automatically recharging tht
batteries can be set up in your owr
barn or garage and the total cost OF
maintaining a good electric then viii
cost less than Sc a month, tires anC
everything included. Say $40 a month
year in and year out, to cover cost OF
renewal of batteries, repairs and cur
rent cost. In cities where rates for cur
rent are low it will average 81 a month
Now you see why it would sound as
ridiculous to say one preferred a gaso-
line to an electric car, as it would tt
say you had rather have soup than ice
cream-without specifying whether fol