Electrovair Filmstrip, 1966

A 1960s sports car on a winding test track.

[Shot of four men in business suits getting into a parked compact car.]

When you first see it, Electrovair looks like any other car. But when you get into it, 500 volts replace the fuel tank, and an electric motor takes the place of an engine.

[A close-up of a hand turning a key in a car ignition, below a gauge reading “BATTERY VOLTS.”]

Forward or reverse is selected with a standard gearshift lever.

[The car backs away from the curb, then drives away down a track.]

The smoothest possible acceleration is provided by the solid-state controls. Electrovair II can accelerate as quickly as a standard Corvair, even with a full load of passengers.

Once underway, Electrovair II gives a new sensation in driving.

[A shot of the same car driving along a tree-lined street in fall.]

There is no engine noise or vibration. All you hear is the hum of electricity, pulsing through the controls. The car handles normally in every way, except for braking.

[The car rounds a tight corner, passing close by the camera, which struggles to follow it. It speeds away down a straight road lined with parked cars.]

There is no engine drag to help slow down Electrovair II. Therefore, higher-performance brakes are used. Additional electronic controls could be added to give dynamic braking.

[Cut to a shot of the car speeding past a lake, with a large fountain visible. View of the interior of the car. A man folds the rear seat forward, revealing a cavity full of complicated wiring and machinery. The man points out several components as the camera zooms in.]

The solid-state controls for Electrovair II are behind the rear seat. You can see the heavy cables used to handle the high currents required.

[The car drives quickly past a long line of freight railway cars, obviously filmed from a moving vehicle.]

Electrovair II was built as a test bed for motor and control development. Road tests of the complete car are the only way to find out whether a motor control system will work under everyday driving conditions.

[Shot from the rear of the car driving away, down the same track as earlier in the film.]

Typical traffic driving requires starting, stopping, following, passing, all with smooth positive control of power.

[The car rounds winding banked corners on a race track.]

As we press the accelerator, our controls must accurately supply extremely high currents to the motor, as much as 500 amps, to quickly and safely pass other vehicles.

[Wide shot of the car on a different portion of the track.]

Electrovair II can only travel 40 to 80 miles, depending on how you drive it, before its silver-zinc batteries must be recharged. Recharging takes almost six hours.

[Wide shot of the car moving in the opposite direction on the same length of track.]

Obviously, for most driving a better battery must be found to make a practical car.

[Tracking shot from a moving vehicle of the car driving along the same lakeside road as before.]

But Electrovair II has demonstrated for the first time what electric car performance could be like when that better power source is found.