The concept of electric vehicles dates back to the early 19th century, but the first practical electric car was built in the late 19th century. The exact date and inventor can be a matter of debate, but one of the earliest electric cars was created by Thomas Davenport, an American inventor, in the 1830s. However, it wasn't until the 1870s and 1880s that practical electric cars began to emerge.
One notable early electric car was the Flocken Elektrowagen, built in Germany by inventor Karl Benz in 1888. It was a small electric vehicle that used non-rechargeable batteries. In the United States, Thomas Edison also worked on electric cars in the late 19th century.
However, it was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that electric cars started gaining popularity, particularly as urban vehicles, before internal combustion engine vehicles (powered by gasoline or diesel) became dominant due to their longer range and ease of refueling. Electric cars have experienced a resurgence in recent years as a more sustainable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.