1920 Milburn Electric Model 27L Driving

[@PreWarMotoring]

Many of you are wondering how the car works. The larger lever works like a steering wheel. The smaller hand lever controls speed and operates as a transmission of sorts with four forward notches and a neutral notch. Pull the lever all the way back and an electric brake will work like modern regenerative braking. The pedal on the right is a brake pedal like a modern car brake that works on the brake shoes. To go into reverse you press the left pedal down and then pull the control lever back even further than the braking position and the car will go backwards. There are two backward speeds. To go back into drive you push the control lever forward again and the reverse pedal will pop back into its normal position and you merrily go along.

[@thallysdacostalima951]

Can you teach me how to do it.

[@jamesgizasson]

Fascinating! Thank you for sharing! :)

[@mquietsch6736]

I'm trying to visualise how the steering lever worked, especially why they didn't put im something like handlebars. After all, bicycles had already been invented then. It's always fascinating to see vehicles without the most common "UI" for steering. I think excavators often haven't got steering wheels either.

[@Seth_Stewart]

That's beautiful. So doesn't waste any of the power at lower speeds by pushing it through resistors?

[@noscwoh1]

Not gonna lie, it looks like the most fun you can have with a 30mph mobile sitting room. This would be such a cool little city car! Replicas need to be made. [edit after seeing the BAT auction] Well that bidding went up fast. I hate that vintage electrics are so damn expensive. Toys for the wealthy that won't ever see use. So I repeat, replicas NEED to be made. And sold at a reasonable price.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

According to Schlaboubve laws it would be forbidden

[@DavidB-rx3km]

You should contact the car companies to demand they spend millions to make cheap cars that nobody will buy.

[@charlesb7019]

As apposed to making 60k plus cars no one can afford????

[@joerosen5464]

​@@DavidB-rx3kmOr your government to block the cheap Chinese cars like the BYD Seagull that you could afford & therefore would buy, in favour of dumping billions of taxpayer dollars into subsidies for uncompetitive domestic automakers who SUCK.🤪👹

[@joerosen5464]

​@@charlesb7019Despite getting BILLIONS & BILLIONS of dollars worth of undeserved government tax breaks & outright WHOREpoRATe Welfare SCAM handouts, that WE pay for!!!🤬🤬🤬

[@toomanyinterests]

Interesting controls, something between a boat's tiller for steering, and a tram. I love the crystal vases mounted on brackets, they are such an absurdly dainty, decorative feature.

[@normg2242]

Absolutely precious!! Would have loved just a quick exterior shot, just to picture what we were sitting in. But really, thanks for this delightful ride!

[@KlaasKamminga]

That electric motor and drivetrain are amazingly quiet it seems, especially for something over 100 years old! You explain it has two forward notches, but it looks like you actually operate four? lovely car, even the creaks and bumps add to the caracter. imagine running it on modern batteries to get a decent range, speed seems enough for in town. Thanks for sharing!

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Old german pre war electric locos are also very quiet! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYDCmpWdhJh8fc0

[@ironhell813]

Five gears: two forward two backward and neutral. You use the left pedal to switch from electric brakes to reverse and right pedal to use shoe brakes.

[@fullmetaljacket7]

Probably uses a brushed dc motor and resistors for the speed control, that's why it's so quiet.

[@balazspetho5070AgroGO]

Amazing. Rolling chill cabin. It is so aristocratic :)

[@MihaiRUdeRO]

And Tesla thought they were the first to remove the steering wheel from their EV

[@PreWarMotoring]

True haha

[@terradrive]

The controls are like those on trains

[@AIRDRAC]

The engine controls are exactly the same as the 1940's vintage tram I drove a year ago or so. Main difference here is less power, and the ability to turn! :D

[@UlvenKvitravn]

There really isn't anything like early technology, especially when it came to innovative ones. Must be more relaxing driving history in less busy areas than a modern vehicle. I love it!

[@rot_studios]

Not gonna lie, that looks very relaxed to drive.

[@robertkirchner7981]

You can understand why these were briefly popular compared to the complex, temperamental, smelly, and noisy combustion cars of the day.

[@tettazwo9865]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@nassar57]

Every comment here is true - the car is testimony to the elegance and remarkable innovation of these 1920's vehicles. A panic stop with those squeaky brakes would be a bit scary, though!

[@DustyCircuits336]

I would love one of these cars with a power output for my electric gramophone! 😍🚗🎶

[@TheStupidSitshow-n7b]

Wow. I've never seen something like that before

[@tylernelson4249]

You know, if the day comes where all internal combustion vehicles are banned from the roads, I would still be enjoying vintage motoring with these early electric beauties.

[@PreWarMotoring]

That was actually my thought too!

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Califiornia just banned all vintage cars

[@Drewcardello]

@@Schlipperschlopperno they didnt

[@Oldsmobile69]

Accelerated so hard the strap florped off the window sill. No but seriously, I'm glad someone invented the steering wheel, the double tiller looks awkward af.

[@Dudeface167]

The top lever is the throttle

[@mwwhatever]

Upper bar is "throttle", lower bar is steering, right pedal is brake? What's the left pedal? Clutch? Reverse? Looks pretty cool

[@PreWarMotoring]

The left pedal allows the control lever to move further backwards to make the car go into reverse.

[@johnmaddox4403]

Imagone this on lithium ion batteries and a 300 mile range😂😂😂 so quaint! Love the notch style accellerator, just like a streetcar, sounds like a trolleybus. Wheres the brake? Jm

[@normg2242]

I think it's the right foot pedal. The left pedal seems to switch forward and backwards.

[@zabnat]

Driving for uber could be awkward, with passengers on those front jump seats facing the driver.

[@iana6713]

Would I be correct in thinking that one of those floor pedals engages reverse, as it does in the Ford Model T? What a superbly elegant piece of history, and those controls are so simple - yet to anyone brought up on modern motoring, so unusual.

[@PreWarMotoring]

I believe you are correct in that guess

[@stanleybest8833]

You proved that electric cars are fine if you don't ask them to do too much. The interior looks like a locomotive, but without a 30 foot hood. Song: Lord Mr. Tesla, I just wish that you could see, what your simple horseless carriage has become.

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

Driving this is probably the most interesting thing that has ever happened in that town.

[@fullmetaljacket7]

It's like driving a piece of furniture. Must be a joy driving around the city in a rainy night.

[@wp8022]

It actually doesn't seem to have a wiper.

[@zsozsowagner]

During the whole video my mind says: “ok, now turn left please, pleeeaase!!” This car is amazing, way more cool than a tesla😉

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

"I'm an electric car, I cannot go very fast or very far...and if you drive me, people will think you are Geigh!" (The Simpsons reference) edit: but I really think this car is cool, plenty if head and leg room, cool style...it's one of the few EVs I can approve of.

[@nlpnt]

The joke was that was from a theme park ride sponsored by an oil company.

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

@nlpnt "One of Us! One of Us!" 🤣

[@mattkramer4132]

You really need to pull this into a Tesla Supercharger station & pretend to charge it up to get peoples' reactions. lol

[@Dudeface167]

Neat car, you don't see many of these driving around these days!

[@Snufkin812]

I would love to buy this car if it could be driven on public roads and made again for under $5,000. It's easy to drive, so it's great for teenagers and handicapped drivers, and it looks great for traveling around town and nearby places. It's really simple and cool for a car from before 1930! What kind of battery system does it have and how far can it go?

[@patrickvandenhouten855]

imagine a 100 year old Tesla.... This machine looks amazing! Must be a challenge to drive?

[@nlpnt]

Most of those had about a 50-75 mile range - this being a 1920 model probably the higher end of that - which was plenty since cities were smaller and denser, all the sprawling car-dependent infrastructure hadn't been built yet, and to travel between cities you took the train which had become the norm by 1900 for about 50 years.

[@superhuber]

1910 - No no! electric cars are bad ONLY PETROL! 2024 - No no! Petrol cars are bad ONLY ELECTRIC! Can we call it wisdom of the stage? 😂

[@johnfrancis5673]

This video made me look them on google, apparently there was a model with a coal fired foot warmer!

[@FLORIDIANMILLIONAIRE]

I think you outta redo this video by showing the exterior of the car it looks very beautiful,.seems like it's aheadh of its time in many ways.

[@damianchrzanowski259]

Was this car equipped with cabin heating❓❓

[@Howie-wd5oc]

That is so cool....

[@guarionex1961]

Amazing.

[@chasewilliams3949]

Is this just running on lead acid? What kind of setup does it use for charging?

[@PreWarMotoring]

I'm actually not sure

[@TheMW2informer]

I would love a replica

[@theblunderbussbrothers9547]

I really feel like there's a place for simple, lightweight, inexpensive vehicles in the modern world. They don't need to be laden with electronics and computers and butt warmers and built-in ipad screens, just give people an inexpensive option for travelling a few miles one way and back. Probably can't happen due to laws and the way society has grown with vehicles, though.

[@stevenwoeste7428]

I recall from reading about electric cars of this era that they were meant for women, thus the decorative flower vase on the left side of the car's interior near the ceiling. That said, this car looks like it would be plenty for driving around town off the expressway to make short trips. Maybe they should go back to that, making cheap electric cars that have modest range and speed for local driving, instead of trying to make electric cars that can do long trips at high speeds, and do all the other things that gasoline powered cars can do. Perhaps something the size and appearance of an electric version of the Chevette? (They may have tried that years ago.)

[@pupi-pupi]

But whats the range?

[@PreWarMotoring]

Not much haha

[@Schlipperschlopper]

20 miles

[@gsilva220]

Electric primary traction has been ready for almost 200 years. The only reason why electric vehicles haven't taken over yet is the fact that batteries do not store electricity, but chemical energy instead. This basically means charging is an energy conversion process, which imposes a power limit. The day plugin batteries and their input conversion are replaced by a feasible option (not hydrogen) electric vehicles will take over in a span of 5 years at most.

[@projectisaac]

Yeah, and there will always be some big new things that grabs attention and doesn't go anywhere. I got so excited for nanodot 10 years ago watching them charge a cell phone in a minute. Guess that had some pretty big blocks that weren't public.

[@danikoo582]

This is much cooler than a Tesla

[@gglol17_rblx35]

How do you charge them

[@PreWarMotoring]

I'm not exactly sure about this car.

[@RB-qq1ky]

@gglol17_rblx35 @PreWarMotoring In the 20’s likely a beefy Mercury Arc Rectifier similar to the unit the Baker Electrics used (there’s some video on here showing one) if you had AC mains to your house. If you had DC mains you could set up a simpler direct system . I believe I saw somewhere that with the Baker you could take the battery pack to a Service Centre and have it charged for you, and they had an exchange system where they would come to your house and swap in a fully charged pack. I would think Milburn would have a similar system. I would assume the present owner uses the home charge option, maybe a modified EV solid state charger or a bespoke home built unit?

[@johnfischer5754]

Genius

[@nlpnt]

What does the one gauge do? Speedo? Clock? Analog range gauge ("guessometer")?

[@PreWarMotoring]

The gauge is amps per hour

[@joerosen5464]

Somewhere between ASMR & "Elon Musk, eat your heart out!".😏

[@mikedrown2721]

👍👏🙂❤️

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

I'm gonna replace my steering wheel and accelerator with these levers.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Sounds like a tram :-)

[@gaetanozuccarello9802]

😉👍👍👍

[@6nerik]

And here, is your new Tesla😂

[@Ben_Adam]

Nice steering wheel… I mean… stick😅

[@pneuroot]

I was told by well informed people that electric cars are ready to get scrapped within 10 years after delivery. So what's out of the ordinary with this example?

[@PreWarMotoring]

Luck of the draw?

[@Hellodarknessmyolefriend]

Very odd steering wheel thingy. Hahaha

[@72rimru]

👍👀

[@地獄めぐり-b5q]

電車のマスコンみたい👍

[@elext9q]

ill take this any day over a tesla

[@PreWarMotoring]

Probably has better panel gaps too haha

[@NEWCASTLE-UNITED-1892]

Seems like it would have been easier to just put a steering wheel in it

[@CounterStriker013009]

Elon Musk will dislike this LOL XD

[@jean-lucjla2987]

this vehicle without a steering wheel is weird

[@PreWarMotoring]

Most early cars did not have steering wheels. Electric cars are noteworthy for using tiller steering long after it fell out of fashion.

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

Pull up to a charging port and plug it in.

[@apocolypse11]

Needs some lithium batteries n is pefect.

[@robbieberry9700]

a backseat driver 😂

[@PreWarMotoring]

Haha!

[@OLIBAHN475]

sehr leise Eletrisch fast lautlos. 👍

[@canadianmike711]

All the super old cars are slow

[@bogdansliwa4138]

Bo elektryczny samochód to nie jest nic nowego!!!

[@hanshomesteading1276]

I doubt this car can make left turns;)

[@PreWarMotoring]

Haha!

[@jaex9617]

That does *not* look intuitive to a 21st century driver! 😮

[@lunair34]

Tesla can go get dressed .....

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

Mom, I want a Tesla! We already have a Tesla at home. Tesla at home...