The Baker Motor Vehicle Company was a Cleveland-based American manufacturer that produced electric automobiles during the Brass Era from 1899 to 1914. The company was founded by Walter C. Baker and produced a variety of vehicles, including runabouts, surreys, and commercial vehicles. Baker electric cars were known for their reliability, quiet operation, and ease of use, which made them popular with urban consumers. However, the increasing popularity of gasoline-powered cars and improvements in their technology ultimately led to the decline of electric vehicles, and Baker ceased production in 1914. Despite this, the Baker electric car remains a popular collector's item among automotive enthusiasts.
History
Baker Motor Vehicle Company was a manufacturer of electric automobiles in Cleveland, Ohio from 1899 to 1914. The company's first vehicle, a two-seater, was sold to Thomas Edison. Edison also designed the nickel-iron batteries used in some Baker electrics, which had extremely long lives. In 1902, a Baker vehicle crashed during a speed trial in New York, killing two spectators and causing a loss of confidence in the safety of electric cars. Despite this setback, Baker expanded its model range in 1904, and in 1906, it became the largest electric vehicle maker in the world. By 1910, Baker offered a luxurious electric vehicle with a seating capacity of four passengers and was the only electric vehicle with a heavy series-wound motor of 300 percent overload capacity, with a commutator "absolutely proof against sparking and burning under all conditions." The company also produced trucks with a capacity of up to five tons.
