🟧 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝟏𝟐𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐚𝐛:

The London Electrical Cab – also commonly known as the ‘Hummingbird’ or the ‘Bersey Cab' after its young designer – first took to the streets of the capital on August 19 1897. 

Inventor Walter Charles Bersey was just 23 at the time, but had been designing and patenting electric vehicles for several years already. 

According to our predecessors, his creation was intended to mimic the appearance of the horse-drawn taxis of the day.

Despite Bersey’s protestations, the vehicle never really took off, with the fleet only reaching a peak of around 75 vehicles. 

The Bersey Cabs batteries were made up of 40 cells driving a mighty 3.5 horsepower motor. These batteries gave the cabs a range of around 30 miles, with an eye-watering top speed of 9mph! They became known as 'hummingbirds' due to the hum of the motor and their bright yellow and black livery

The cab’s two-tonne weight (rings a bell here) caused huge wear on the tyres which led to noise and vibrations escalating significantly after six months of use. 

Bersey’s company lost £6,200 in the first year of operation, and the business was forced to close in 1899, the vehicles disappearing from London’s streets just two years after making their debut.

So it’s a Happy 126th Anniversary to the London Electric Cab.