How electric trucks owned Chicago’s streets decades before Tesla existed

Walker Electric Trucks’ Dominance in 1900s Chicago

In 1900, electric cars ruled the road, making up nearly 40% of all vehicles in America. Walker Electric Trucks, built in Chicago, soon took over city streets.

They ran on 3.5 horsepower motors with hefty batteries, zipping along at 12 mph for up to 50 miles per charge.

These workhorses proved three times faster than horse-drawn wagons while doing twice the work. By 1925, Marshall Field’s store alone used 276 electric trucks, while the U.S. Postal Service put them to work nationwide.

The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum now houses the rare 1911 Walker Electric Model 43 that once delivered milk across Chicago for Bowman Dairy.

Electric Cars Ruled American Roads in 1900

Back in 1900, electric cars grabbed 38% of the American car market.

Gas cars lagged behind with just 22% of vehicles on the road, while steam-powered cars led with 40%. City folks loved electric cars because they started without cranking, ran quietly, and didn’t make smoke.

Businesses across major cities filled their delivery fleets with electric vehicles, seeing them as the clean, modern choice for city transportation.

Chicago’s Walker Truck Company Changed City Deliveries

Walker Electric Truck Company opened in Chicago in 1907, making delivery vehicles perfect for city businesses. The company built electric trucks until 1942, outlasting many rivals.

They built trucks that rarely broke down and cost less to keep running than horses or gas vehicles.

City businesses bought these trucks because they solved real problems – no horse mess to clean up, no gas to buy, and they worked well in stop-and-go city traffic.

These Electric Workhorses Packed Real Power

Walker trucks came with 3. 5 horsepower motors running on 66-80 volt batteries that wowed people back then.

They could go up to 50 miles on one charge, enough for daily delivery routes around cities. Moving at 10-12 mph, these trucks moved through city streets three to four times faster than horse wagons.

Businesses quickly figured out that electric trucks could do twice the work of horse teams while costing about the same to run.

Marshall Field’s Huge Electric Fleet Showed What Was Possible

Marshall Field & Company, the famous Chicago store, built a fleet of 276 electric Walker trucks by 1925.

This was one of America’s largest commercial electric vehicle operations, handling thousands of daily deliveries across Chicago.

The company used these quiet, steady trucks to deliver everything from furniture to clothing to customers throughout the city.

Other businesses noticed Marshall Field’s success, with many switching to electric delivery vehicles too.

Milk Deliveries Went Electric With Bowman Dairy

Bowman Dairy Company jumped on the electric trend early, becoming leaders in Chicago’s milk business.

After starting clean milk delivery in 1899, they quickly grew into Chicago’s biggest milk seller, with electric trucks helping their success.

The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum now keeps a 1911 Walker Electric Model 43 that Bowman Dairy once used on Chicago streets.

These trucks worked perfectly for milk delivery – quiet enough for early morning runs and steady enough for multiple daily routes.

The Post Office Delivered Mail Without Making Noise

The U.S. Postal Service started using electric vehicles early, putting them to work delivering mail across American cities.

Mail carriers liked the quiet operation that didn’t bother neighborhoods during early morning or late evening deliveries. The trucks started well in all weather, a big plus in northern cities during winter.

The government found the low upkeep costs matched well with tight postal budgets, while people got used to seeing these quiet electric vehicles as part of daily life.

Railway Express Ran The Biggest Electric Fleet In America

American Railway Express Company ran 1,200 Walker electric trucks, creating the largest electric vehicle fleet of that time.

These trucks linked railway stations to businesses and homes, delivering packages across America’s cities. The company found electric trucks perfect for set urban routes where charging wasn’t a problem.

The sight of these boxy electric trucks became common at train stations nationwide, connecting America’s rail network with local delivery.

Horses Couldn’t Keep Up With Clean, Efficient Electric Trucks

Electric trucks fixed major problems that troubled horse-drawn delivery services for hundreds of years. Cities no longer dealt with tons of horse manure that caused health risks.

Business owners saved money they used to spend on stables, hay, vet care, and horse handlers. The trucks worked through snowstorms and heat waves that would tire or hurt horses.

Companies could plan exactly how far and fast their deliveries would move each day, unlike with animals that got tired or sick.

One Invention Killed The Electric Car’s Early Lead

Charles Kettering changed everything in 1912 when he created the electric self-starter for gas engines. Before this, starting a gas car meant dangerous hand-cranking that could break arms if the engine backfired.

Kettering’s invention gave gas cars the same easy-start benefit that electric vehicles had.

Gas cars suddenly became much more user-friendly while still offering greater speed and range than their electric rivals.

This single innovation helped gas-powered vehicles overcome their biggest drawback compared to electric options.

Rural Roads Needed Vehicles That Could Go The Distance

The lack of electricity in the countryside became a major roadblock for electric vehicle expansion. As late as 1932, only 10% of rural America had access to electrical power, making charging impossible outside cities.

Meanwhile, America was building roads connecting towns and cities at a rapid pace, creating demand for vehicles that could travel these longer distances.

Gas stations popped up faster than electrical infrastructure, making fuel easy to find even in remote areas.

Electric vehicle makers found themselves trapped in shrinking urban markets as the country expanded outward on newly paved highways.

Electric Trucks Vanished As Gas Took Over

By 1935, commercial electric vehicles had nearly disappeared from American roads, victims of changing technology and infrastructure.

Gas-powered trucks kept getting better, offering speeds and ranges that electric vehicles couldn’t match with the battery technology of the time.

Oil companies expanded aggressively, making gasoline cheap and available everywhere while electricity remained limited to cities and towns.

The versatile gas trucks could handle both urban deliveries and longer rural routes, while electric vehicles remained limited to short city trips.

Electric commercial vehicles virtually vanished until their recent comeback in the 21st century, erasing the memory of America’s first electric vehicle revolution.

Visiting Iowa 80 Trucking Museum

The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum at 505 Sterling Drive in Walcott has over 100 antique trucks from 1903 to today, perfect for learning about early electric vehicles that ruled city streets before gas trucks took over.

Admission is free but donations help. You can watch trucking history films in the REO Theatre.

The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 12pm-5pm, with daily hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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