These days a new electric car will cost you somewhere between 20 and 30k (depending on what brand you buy, of course). If you were thinking about buying used, it might not actually save you money. Especially if you have the 1905 Woods Queen Victoria Brougham in mind.
This weekend at the Frederiksen auction in Ebeltoft, Denmark, the classic Woods electric vehicle sold for DKK632,500 (US$94,548).
If you thought electric cars were exclusive to today’s lithium-ion powered supercars, think again. In fact, there were many more electric vehicle manufacturers in the world 100 years ago than there are today.
The auctioned Queen Victoria is believed to be the only one known to still exist and in its day. And it was by no means an economy model. With a price tag of $3,000, that translates to about $70,000 in today’s dollars.
It only has a 72-in wheelbase to support its 2,600 lb weight, and does about 30 mph flat out, which is pretty impressive for a vintage electric car. And it’s still drivable after 110 years thanks to an upgrade with lightweight modern batteries and a fast-charging system.
Based on the interior (I’m talking about the flower vase, not the leather) you can tell this was definitely a luxury vehicle.
Jamie Wisniewski 