The role of energy infrastructure in shaping early adoption of electric and gasoline cars

This study asks what can be learned from US automobile history. In 1900 there were three equal contenders in the US automotive industry: gasoline, electric and steam cars.

Only a decade later the gasoline car had achieved a crushing dominance. This dominance is often attributed to techno-economic factors, such as an innate inferiority of electric cars. Meanwhile, the role of infrastructures is not well understood.