The inventor of the battery powered electric motor, Thomas Davenport, passed away on this day in 1851 at the age of 48. Davenport completed his motor in 1834, and received a patent for his invention in 1837. Davenport demonstrated his motor by powering a small car on a short section of track, paving the way to the electrification of street cars. In 1840 he used his invention to print The Electro-Magnetic and Mechanics Intelligencer, the first newspaper printed using electricity. Further development of Davenport’s invention was key in the production of early electric automobiles.
