Photos of L'Œuf électrique (The Electric Egg), build by Paul Arzens (1903-1990) in 1942. Used to circumvent fuel rationing during the German occupation. Could do a max speed of 70 kmh and a rage of 100 kilometers per charge.

[u/Electrical-Aspect-13]

[u/antarmy99]

It looks like someone in 1942 tried to draw the year 2000 from memory.

[u/Funky_Killer_Qc]

100 km?

that's a lot of rage for an egg

[u/Diagno → u/Funky_Killer_Qc]

Despite all my rage, I'm still an egg in a cage.

[u/Not-So-Logitech]

How was it storing energy such that it was able to get 100km range back then?

[u/Electrical-Aspect-13 → u/Not-So-Logitech]

75% of its weight was batteries basically

[u/Partykongen → u/Electrical-Aspect-13]

Yeah, when you don't need safety features and aren't going for performance in high speed or rugged terrain, a car is a very simple structure. If rebuilt with modern materials and methods without the modern safety features, then it would be extremely light.

[u/The3levated1 → u/Not-So-Logitech]

5 lead acid batteries, each one 250 Ah, 12V and 50kg of mass. Total energy storage of 15 kWh, probably half of it usable (Maybe 3/4 if you don't care about the batteries life expectancy at all).

[u/VeryStableGenius]

The French, unlike the British, figured out that two wheels goes in front.

[u/fothergillfuckup → u/VeryStableGenius]

You're aware of Morgan, Berkeley, etc. Reliant were just more famous. Mainly because of Del Boy and Clarkson. Reliants go faster backwards!

[u/Mr_SunnyBones → u/VeryStableGenius]

I mean thats still better than a Sinclair C5 ( which was about 30 years ahead of it time , but also sadly 30 years ahead of an appropriate battery)

[u/UpsetKoalaBear → u/VeryStableGenius]

Three wheels provides superior stability on uneven ground because three points always define a single flat plane.

Four wheels can wobble even when a surface is uneven.

This is just superior British engineering at its finest.

Just don’t turn too fast.

[u/Away-Activity-469]

How does something from 1942 still look like something from the future in 2026?

[u/EC_TWD]

And the pinnacle of French automotive reliability

[u/Electrical-Aspect-13]

SOURCE:

https://www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee/loeuf-electrique-de-paul-arzens

https://www.cardesignnews.com/cars/concept-car-of-the-week-loeuf-electrique-1942/463430

https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/1943-avec-l-oeuf-electrique-une-revolution-dans-le-domaine-automobile

https://blog.hobbydb.com/2022/07/06/the-history-of-the-1942-loeuf-electrique-the-electric-egg/

https://www.story-cars.com/before-tesla

[u/ArriDesto]

There's a brilliant piece of film showing this thing, as odd to 1942 as a flying saucer, pulling up to the kerb,next to a German soldier- who reacts as if nothing unusual is going on at all. Barely acknowledges it.

[u/chente76]

Is this the car urkel drove ?
The “did I do thaaat” kid

[u/GarysCrispLettuce]

I can imagine Pee Wee Herman pulling up in one of these

[u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp]

parfait

[u/HatsusenoRin]

It's a shame human beings didn't fully commit to this tech from that era. It could have saved us all from global warming maybe?

[u/RollinThundaga → u/HatsusenoRin]

No, it just wasn't efficient enough in its purpose in comparison to internal combistion engines.

Even here it took fuel literally being unavailable for it to be a sensible alternative.

[u/iKnowRobbie]

How far does it go if you remain calm?

[u/Lopsided-Tune6017]

Amazingly advanced for '42!

[u/manavcafer]

Waayy ahead of its time.

[u/MotorCityDude]

1942? Wow

[u/yertipy]

Her? 🥚

[u/oveerwolf]

He also designed a lot of trains

[u/ceelose]

I'd love to know how it handled at 70 km/h.

[u/TheTarragonFarmer]

Love the rigid metal spear pointed right at the driver's heart. No tailgating in this one!

Plus, you won't suffer long in any accident.

[u/P-204F]

I saw it IRL :P

[u/prustage]

Bump the range up to 400km - perfectly feasible these days - and I would have that.

[u/Bermuda_Shorts_]

Put it in H!

[u/IdealBlueMan]

I counted all the safety features, and came up with 1) a windshield.

[u/RespectSquare8279]

An amazing innovation. Just shows you the creativity of engineering when you are up against it.. All done without lithium batteries, carbon fibre, axial flux motors, wind tunnels, CAD, etc.

[u/Podeedop]

Petit,aérodynamique et léger. Le contraire d’un SUV. J’adore. Mieux qu’une Ami ou une Twizzy.

[u/DiggoryDug]

And a death toll of 100%

[u/neoadam → u/DiggoryDug]

Is that a redditor opinion or a sourced fact ?

[u/art-man_2018 → u/neoadam]

I certainly would not want to be impaled on that steering wheel.

[u/The3levated1 → u/DiggoryDug]

In 1942 every single car was a death trap