The Riker was a

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

and brass era

electric car An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quie ...

founded in 1898 in

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a city and the county seat of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New J ...

. Designed by

Andrew L. Riker Andrew Lawrence Riker (1868–1930) was an early automobile designer known for helping the U.S. car industry to transition from electric to gas-powered car manufacturing. He began experimenting with electric vehicles in 1884. He formed the ...

, they were built in small numbers until the company was absorbed by the

Electric Vehicle Company Electric Vehicle Company was an American automobile holding company and early pioneering manufacturer of automobiles. History The Electric Vehicle Company was founded September 27, 1897 as a holding company of battery-powered electric vehicle ...

in 1901.

History

Andrew Riker built his first vehicle in 1887. It was an English Coventry tricycle with electric power. He founded the Riker Electric Motor Company in Brooklyn in 1888. In 1894 he built his first four-wheel car by putting a pair of Remington bicycles together with electric power added. That year he also began building an electric racer which competed against gasoline cars at the 1896 Narragansett Park race in

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

. ''

Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...

'' reported the Riker Electric Motor Company, of

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, N. Y., as the winner of the horseless carriage race, the prize being $900. The fastest mile was made by the Riker, "the time being 2:13." This was the first automobile race done around a track in the United States. Riker made his first sale in 1897. From that time a variety of electric vehicles bore the Riker name including runabouts,

Victorias Victorias, officially the City of Victorias ( hil, Dakbanwa sang Victorias; fil, Lungsod ng Victorias), is a 4th class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 90,101 ...

, surreys, hansom cabs and heavy

trucks A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...

. In December 1900 he merged his company with the

and only trucks were built under the Riker name afterwards. In 1901 as Riker Motor Vehicle Company, he designed an 8-hp 2-cylinder gasoline car, and a 16-hp

4-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

car which he offered to the Electric Vehicle Company, but they declined it. He partnered with the Overman Company to produce the gasoline cars in Chicopee Falls. Overman merged with Locomobile Company of America and in 1903 these became the first gasoline automobiles offered by Locomobile. Andrew Riker became a vice-president for Locomobile and was the first president of the Society of Automotive Engineers.

External links

A.L. Riker
Photos and articles about the early years of the Riker Electric Vehicles *

References

{{Authority control Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States History of Elizabeth, New Jersey Companies based in Elizabeth, New Jersey Motor vehicle manufacturers based in New Jersey Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1898 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1901 Defunct manufacturing companies based in New Jersey Electric vehicle manufacturers of the United States Battery electric vehicle manufacturers Electric vehicles introduced in the 19th century Electric vehicles introduced in the 20th century Veteran vehicles 1890s cars 1900s cars Cars introduced in 1897

History

See also

External links

References