1896 Riker Electric Tricycle

Andrew L. Riker (1868-1930) built this electric tricycle in Brooklyn, NY, in 1896 and used it for two years. With its tubular steel frame, wire wheels and pneumatic tires, Riker’s vehicle owed much to bicycle construction techniques of the time. The tricycle was powered by a series of sulfuric acid-lead batteries installed under the seat, and propelled by a 40-volt electric motor mounted at the rear. The motor turned a single rear wheel, which eliminated the need for a differential. Andrew Riker founded the Riker Electric Vehicle Company in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, and manufactured electric automobiles and trucks. But he sold his firm just three years later. Despite his experience with the electric tricycle and other battery-powered vehicles, Riker concluded that the future belonged to gasoline. In 1902, he joined Locomobile Company of America and began designing gasoline-powered automobiles.