The First Electric Vehicle Car and Driver Ever Reviewed, from 1960

We recently drove a car that, when it reaches production, could take the second-car market by storm. The most un­usual automobile of conventional configuration to be en­gineered in this country in many years, it will be manufac­tured by the Nic-L-Silver Battery Company of Santa Ana, California.

The steering system is also conventional recirculating-ball type, with very easy movement of the wheel even at rest requiring three turns from lock to lock. As the wheelbase is just 95 inches, the Pioneer will turn on a dime; parking will be a breeze with space to spare due to the overall length of 157 inches. The overall width is about 60 inches which should qualify this little runabout for reduced parking rates in many public parking lots.

The weight of the Pioneer, with the hardtop in place, is 1800 pounds of which over 600 are accounted for by the batteries. The fiberglass body weighs less than 300 pounds.During our demonstration drive around the outskirts of Santa Ana, we experienced the curious glances of motorists in assorted large vehicles. While waiting for traffic lights to change, the complete lack of motor noise is, at first, some­what ghostly.

In addition to the space above the batteries and behind the seats, other luggage can be stored beneath the front hood. The space behind the electric motors will be occupied by the battery charger. Maintenance will take little time. Checking the level of the batteries and taking a specific gravity reading occasionally and greasing the chassis is all that is necessary. The latter has a total of three greasing points.

Looks like part Studebaker & very old Mustang?

Looks a lot like the same body as the Alken D-2 from '58, which the article notes made the body.

You had me at 'fins'.

Oh, but Twitter tells me that Musk invented them!!!?

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