Jay Leno, an avid car enthusiast, owns a fully restored Baker Electric car that was orginally built in 1909. Proving that good ideas can be found by rediscovering past inventions, like the Einstein Refrigerator, the Baker Electric car was an idea ahead of it's time.
The crankless, gas-free, emissions-free, maintenance-free and quiet Baker was invented by Walter C. Baker of Cleveland, Ohio and was powered by alkaline batteries invented by Thomas Edison.
Jay still uses the orginal Edison batteries. The Baker can travel approximately 100 miles before recharging, which is about the same as modern electric cars, although top speed is only 25 mph.
Before Henry Ford began mass producing inexpensive gas cars, electric cars such as the Baker accounted for about 38% of the U.S car market.
