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328:) travelled in one. They quickly became known as "hummingbirds" for the noise made by their motors and their distinctive black and yellow livery. Passengers reported that the interior fittings were luxurious when compared to horse-drawn cabs, but there were some complaints that the bright internal lighting made them too conspicuous to those outside the cab.
186:, the vehicles reportedly had a top speed of 12 mph (19 km/h) and could carry two passengers. An initial service of 12 cabs began on 19 August 1897 and a total of 77 were built, with a maximum of 75 in service at once. They were initially popular and were nicknamed "hummingbirds" for the sound they made and their distinctive
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The tyres of the cabs suffered because of the heavy weight of the vehicle. After six months of operation they tended to be badly worn and produced increased vibration, which affected the delicate glass plates in the batteries. It also increased the noise emitted by the vehicle. The operation became
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The fleet peaked at around 75 cabs, all of which needed to return to the single depot at
Lambeth to switch batteries. This was achieved by means of hydraulic lifts that could complete the operation in 2–3 minutes per cab. The London Electrical Cab Company planned to introduce additional battery
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The cabs were withdrawn from service and the company closed in August 1899. The downfall of the company was said to have been the result of a campaign by horse-drawn cab drivers and bad press caused by breakdowns and accidents. Fully electric cabs did not return to the city's streets until the
276:. A total of 77 cabs of both types were constructed. Bersey said the advantages of his invention were that "there is no smell, no noise, no heat, no vibration, no possible danger, and it has been found that vehicles built on this company's system do not frighten passing horses".
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plagued by breakdowns and the cabs were frequently slower than the horse-drawn alternative. The high cost of replacement batteries and tyres made the operation unprofitable, and the London
Electrical Cab Company reported losses of £6,200 in its first year.
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had stipulated that they should meet four requirements: that they would be driven only by professional drivers, and that they should be able to stop on demand, turn around in a small radius. and be able to climb
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which relaxed regulations and speed limits for road vehicles. The range of the Bersey cab was insufficient to complete the entire 56 miles (90 km) route and it was transported part of the way by train.
257:. The cab as a whole weighed 2 long tons (2.0 t) and could carry two passengers. The range on a full charge was approximately 30–35 miles (48–56 km), barely sufficient for a day's work.
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Speed was controlled by means of a lever that provided three options: 3 or 7 or 9 mph (5 or 11 or 14 km/h), although a top speed of up to 12 mph (19 km/h) has been reported.
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198:, which were expensive to replace, and made their operation unprofitable. The cabs were withdrawn in August 1899 and electric cabs did not return to the streets of London until the
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The London
Electrical Cab Company ran 12 Bersey cabs in central London, starting on 19 August 1897, after an inauguration which was presided over by eminent electrical engineer
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charging and exchange depots to expand its coverage and range. Owing to the expense of electricity that was available at the time, the company invested in its own
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cab. Internal and external electric lighting was provided. The vehicle's four wheels were clad with solid rubber tyres that were intended to provide grip on
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on springs. Before going into service, the batteries went through testing on Bersey's "shaking machine" to ensure they would stand up to the rigours of use.
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Passengers were charged the same rates as for horse-drawn cabs, and the
Berseys were initially quite popular - even the Prince of Wales (the future
222:, an electrical engineer who had earlier constructed an electric powered bus and van, as well as private cars. The cab was driven by a
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The first cabs were constructed by the Great
Horseless Carriage Company, with bodies made by the coachbuilder
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312:. They were the first self-propelled taxis in the city. As part of their licensing conditions, the
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with a total capacity of 170 ampere hours (assuming a 30 ampere demand). The batteries weighed 14
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190:. The vehicles suffered badly from wear in service owing to their heavy weight. This damaged the
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272:'s greasy pavements. A later version of the cab with larger capacity batteries was built by the
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A 1897 illustration of the Bersey
Electric Cab in service of the London Electrical Cab Company.
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605:"Image of bersey electric cab, 1897. by Science & Society Picture Library"
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The Birth of the
British Motor Car 1769–1897: Volume 3 The Last Battle 1894–97
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424:"Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited and Electric Taxis"
242:(1,568 pounds, 711 kg) and, being delicate, were hung underneath the
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in
October 2019. A Bersey cab survives in the collection of London's
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580:"The Surprisingly Old Story Of London's First Ever Electric Taxi"
632:"First 100% electric black cab for 120 years launches in London"
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was by means of a foot pedal that disconnected the electrical
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The Bersey cab was first exhibited at an 1896 motor show in
405:"August 1897 – The London Electrical Cab hits the streets"
296:, London. An example was entered in the 14 November 1896
525:"Science Museum exhibits London's 1897 electric taxi"
264:and designed to resemble a traditional horse-drawn
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688:Electric vehicles introduced in the 19th century
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16:1896 British early electric vehicle
428:London Taxis : A Full History
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274:Gloucester Railway Waggon Company
38:The 1897 Bersey Electric Cab, in
630:Topham, Gwyn (23 October 2019).
302:Locomotives on Highways Act 1896
202:was introduced in October 2019.
403:Wade, Abdrew (10 August 2018).
218:The Bersey cab was designed by
578:Hurley, Selina (9 July 2012).
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64:London Electrical Cab Company
523:Clark, Liat (28 June 2012).
321:, the steepest in the city.
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488:"Bersey electric taxi cab"
492:Science Museum Collection
455:. Springer. p. 336.
449:Nicholson, T. R. (1982).
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182:in London. Developed by
176:electric-powered vehicle
663:Cars introduced in 1896
430:. Visit Gloucestershire
178:and the first electric
334:electricity generators
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611:. Science and Society
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172:London Electrical Cab
349:introduction of the
310:William Henry Preece
40:British Motor Museum
678:Electric car models
584:Science Museum Blog
314:Metropolitan Police
170:(also known as the
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27:Bersey Electric Cab
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100:Electric car
61:Manufacturer
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668:1890s cars
657:Categories
641:2 November
615:1 November
589:31 October
534:1 November
497:31 October
434:1 November
361:References
319:Savoy Hill
280:In service
228:horsepower
150:Dimensions
122:Powertrain
69:Production
232:kilowatts
192:batteries
72:1896–1899
529:Wired UK
262:Mulliner
180:taxi cab
160:2 000 kg
145:48–56 km
116:Brougham
78:Designer
56:Overview
251:Braking
244:chassis
230:or 2.2
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270:London
206:Design
188:livery
128:Engine
44:Gaydon
266:coupé
196:tyres
142:Range
95:Class
42:, in
643:2019
617:2019
591:2019
536:2019
499:2019
457:ISBN
436:2019
340:Fate
194:and
166:The
104:taxi
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
