Andrew L. Riker
Encyclopedia
Andrew Lawrence Riker was an early automobile designer. He began experimenting with electric vehicle
s in 1884. He formed the Riker Electric Motor Company in 1888 to make electric motor
s, and a year later formed the Riker Motor Vehicle Company in Elizabeth, New Jersey
. (All of the advertising and news items refer to the location as "Elizabethport".) The company was absorbed by the Electric Vehicle Company
in 1901.
Riker was hired afterwards by Locomobile
for their ICE
development.
Riker was a Co-Founder of the Society of Automotive Engineers in 1905 and served as the first president for three years.
Electric vehicle
An electric vehicle , also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion...
s in 1884. He formed the Riker Electric Motor Company in 1888 to make electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
s, and a year later formed the Riker Motor Vehicle Company in Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
. (All of the advertising and news items refer to the location as "Elizabethport".) The company was absorbed by the Electric Vehicle Company
Electric Vehicle Company
-History:The Electric Vehicle Company was founded as a holding company of battery-powered electric automobile manufacturers made up of several car companies assembled by Isaac L. Rice beginning in 1897. It was taken over in 1899 by William C. Whitney and P. A. B...
in 1901.
Riker was hired afterwards by Locomobile
Locomobile
The Locomobile Company of America was an automobile manufacturer founded in 1899. For the first two years it was located in Watertown, Massachusetts, but production was transferred to Bridgeport, Connecticut during 1900 where it remained until the company's demise in 1929...
for their ICE
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
development.
Riker was a Co-Founder of the Society of Automotive Engineers in 1905 and served as the first president for three years.
Further reading
- James J. Flink. The Automobile Age. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1988.
- Smithsonian Institution: America On The Move: Riker electric automobile
- A.L. Riker Photos and articles about the early years of the Riker Electric Vehicles