1914 Rauch and Lang B4 Electric Brougham

The first Rauch & Lang electric was completed in 1904, and production started in 1905 when 50 cars were built. The Hertner Electric Company, which supplied motors to Rauch & Lang, was bought in 1907. Two years later, production was running at 1,000 cars annually and sales agencies had been appointed in 20 cities, some as far as Manchester, NH, and Denver, CO.

This regal 1914 Brougham was built during the glory days of the electric car and is perhaps the finest example of the luxurious Rauch & Lang Brougham. It is elegantly upholstered in plush red velvet and comfortably seats four and has remarkable all-around visibility for passengers and the driver, who, incidentally, controls the car from a rear seat. With tiller steering, it was not that easy to maneuver at speeds above 30 mph.

Driven by an 80-volt electric motor and a cache of rechargeable batteries, the Rauch & Lang was virtually silent. The only noise generated was the sound of the tires rolling over the road.

In 1920, Rauch & Lang sold its passenger car business to the Stevens Duryea Company, which produced a dwindling number of electric passenger cars. The era of the electric car as a means of personal transportation had come to an end.