Looking for a summer museum trip? See electric cars in SoCal

Southern California, especially South Bay, has been renowned for its passion for hot-rod and customized vehicles. So it might be ironic that one SoCal museum is featuring the oh-so-green history of electric vehicles. Traditionalists, fear not: there is a chop-top Tesla in there.

The
Automobile Driving Museum debuted
an exhibit called “The Electric Car: Fad or Future?” earlier this month. It will run through the end of July. The museum, which is located in El Segundo, is showcasing little-known vehicles such as Taylor Dunn Trident, the Electric King, and the Autoette. Performance-wise, those cars are basically what is now considered an neighborhood electric vehicle, but they were pretty unusual for their time. The exhibit also highlights the fact that electric vehicles were a primary form of light-duty transportation during the early part of the 20th century before gas-powered cars took over. The exhibit opened May 15, when visitors were able to take rides on Zelectric Motors’ electric buses.

Other, better-known cars being shown off include the Honda Fit EV and a Tesla Model S that’s been converted into a convertible by an aftermarket firm. True to the sector’s green credentials, the Sierra Club is providing information about how prospective buyers of EVs can get rebates and incentives, all to ensure that there really is a future – and not just a cool history – when it comes to electric vehicle purchases.

For those looking to get further perspective on electric vehicles, we reported last month that
Who Killed The Electric Car? director Chris Paine has
a third installment of his film series in the works, though the film will focus on electric bikes, e-sharing, and other forms of greener transportation. While we wait, take a look at the Automobile Driving Museum’s synopsis of the exhibit below.

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Upcoming Exhibit: The Electric Car: Fad or Future?

The Automobile Driving Museum will explore the history of the electric car and the industrial and environmental impacts associated with an electric car future in a new exhibit, “The Electric Car — Fad or Future?” opening May 15, 2016.

In 1900, electric cars were the leaders of the automotive industry, but after 1930 they were all but forgotten; relegated to little more than golf carts. Now, electric cars are again staking a serious claim in the marketplace.

The Tesla and the Leaf are now among us. Chevrolet’s Bolt, VW’s e-Golf, BMW’s i3, and others, have recently entered the new-car marketplace. Do these new electric cars represent another fad, or the future?

The exhibition will include unusual electric vehicles from the 1960s and 70s as well as modern automobiles including one of the few Tesla convertibles available on the market today. The Sierra Club will provide information about incentives and rebates when purchasing an electric vehicle and Honda and Toyota will display one of their available EVs as part of the exhibit. Activities for kids include demonstrations on creating and storing electricity.

On the exhibit’s opening day, Sunday May 15th Zelectric Motors (www.zelectricmotors.com) will give visitors rides in the Zelectric Bus as part of the ADM’s weekly Sunday Rides program.

Display vehicles will include the Taylor Dunn Trident, Electric King, and Autoettes vehicles from the 1960s. Modern cars from Toyota and Honda as well as one of only two Tesla convertibles in the world.

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