There are around 9,000 electric personal vehicles in the greater Kolkata region as of March 2022. About two-thirds of them are two wheelers. Even then it is not a small number. With petrol and diesel engined cars of 15 years plus set to become history in the near future when they are ordered to go off the road, it’s time to take a look at the history of vehicles using other engines in our city.

Steam Engines
Individual vehicles using steam engines date back to the 1830s overseas and many such engines were used in factories, boats and closed tracks in this area by the 1870s.

By 1903, newspapers in Calcutta reported cars driven by three types of engines - petrol, steam and electric. There are some advertisements from that era too.

Locomobile (refer to the photograph) was a name that was much talked about. Its furnace burnt oil or petrol to produce steam. In public demonstration runs, it impressed viewers with its smooth running and capabilities as also its capacity to keep running for prolonged periods. Ideal for hot climates, pronounced one pundit. But men like Rudyard Kipling called them nickel plated frauds for all the trouble they gave him. Kipling later bought a Rolls-Royce for his use.

But Locomobiles had another fatal flaw - one contemporary account said it had the tendency to catch fire and burn if left standing with the burner lit. In other words, every time that vehicle was stopped for some time (say in the market), you had to put out the burner, and then fire it up again when ready to go. Or else - it was a pile of ash and soot!

While the Locomobile had a proper boiler, it had a competitor - the French Serpollet with a flash boiler. Capable of starting up from cold overnight in six minutes, it appeared as competent.

However, there were complaints at the time that it was too slow and underpowered. It was also marketed by its American joint venture, Gardner Serpollet. Neither the three nor the four wheeled car could cut much ice.

Other steam car brands sold were both American – the Stanley and the White. Stanleys are known for their high performance and smoothness and even today, are highly treasured by motor car museums and collectors the world over.

The White represented luxury and prestige. As early American presidents like Taft and the senior Roosevelt used White limousines, it was an aspirational vehicle. Wealthy Indian motorists were quite fond of White limousines, two of which are featured here.

Electricity
I have written much about electric cars earlier. They were silent and enjoyed prestige as a fallout of the world speed record set by Camille Jenatzy.

Till the First World War in 1914, electric cars were advertised in Calcutta in English language newspapers, printed locally or sent by surface mail from overseas. In Dalhousie Square, a distributor and importer called A. A. Bachman & Co. was the leading purveyor of electric vehicles.

Despite its silence and immediate convenience, electric cars like Unic or Crown Magnetic of UK and American Baker were only for the super rich. Battery range was very limited so much so that “the electric carriage is the least useful and most expensive form of motor car”, stated one report.

In support of course, it stated in all fairness: “If you use it only for shopping and making calls, or going for short drives, or to business every day and for nothing else, then I advise you to buy an electro-mobile which of all is the most luxurious and convenient”.

Petrol the winner
Despite these options, and the terrible difficulty of obtaining petrol (medicine shops often sold it till the 1920s), petrol engine cars triumphed over all other types thanks to outstanding models like Ford Model T and Chevrolets, and the English Austin and Morris cars from the 1920s. With pollution and emission laws threatening the future of petrol and diesel engines, it is time for a relook at other types of mobility.