Early modes of transport in the United States: lessons for modern energy policymakers

The belief that modern alternative vehicles and modes of transport continue to fail primarily for technical reasons glosses over the importance of the economic, political, social and cultural dimensions of gasoline powered automobiles. This article investigates the changes that caused manufacturers and customers to abandon bicycles, horses, electric vehicles, cable cars, trolleys, and trains and to overwhelmingly prefer gasoline-powered vehicles from 1890 to 1940 in the United States. It then focuses on the lessons that the historical transition to gasoline vehicles offers modern policymakers.