Leon Serpollet of France designed an improved steam engine in 1887 and in 1888 built a tricycle type vehicle powered by the steam engine. Serpollet's steam engine addressed the problem of steam engines taking a long time to build up steam. In Serpollet's engine metal tubes were heated, and when contacted with water a head of steam was instantly brought up. American financier F.L. Gardner put up the money to bring the project into production.
Serpollet obtained the first drivers license in Paris, and in 1890 with Ernest Archdeacon took a trip (the first road trip?) of 286 miles in 15 days in the steam tricycle. In 1902 Serpollet broke the world land speed record with a speed of 75.06 mph. Gardner and Serpollet built six and eight cylinder automobiles until 1907. Serpollet died about then, and the gasoline engine automobiles were outperforming the steamers in sales by then.
It’s great that more people are focusing on making better environmental choices. Plus technology is making it more economical now, and that’s what people really notice. Wind energy, solar power, hybrids and zap EV’s, our choices are good. There are now electric cars being sold everyday, you just plug it into a regular power outlet. When people test drive them they say it’s far more fun to drive an EV.
Posted by: Web | March 24, 2008 at 05:37 PM
Ernest Archdeacon is listed as finishing seventeenth in a Serpollet in what some consider to be the first ever motor-race, held in 1894 from Paris to Rouen.
Sorry to plug my own work but I wrote an article, "The First Motor Race", on my blog that covers this. Link below:
http://effjuan.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/the-first-motor-race/
Posted by: Sebastian X | June 02, 2010 at 02:04 AM