PRAISES THE ELECTRIC.

The New York Times
April 5, 1914

Menefee Says it Will Prevail for City and Suburban Use.

"It is not so very long ago that electric cars were thought to be women's cars and suitable only for boulevard use.  To-day men are finding them indispensable for business purposes, and their range of service has vastly increased," said S. W. Menefee, manager of one of the electric car companies, last week.  "Nowhere in the United States were people so slow to appreciate the true value of the electric car as in New York City, but during the past year the automobile public has had an awakening—it has investigated and found that the modern electric car is truly an eye-opener, and has competed favorably with gasoline cars as far as service is concerned, with from one-third to one-eighth of the operating and maintenance expenditures.

"Of course, the increased mileage capacity of the electric car has something to do with the largely increased use.  Eight years ago thirty miles on a single charge was the limit for any electric.  To-day, however, it is not unusual to hear of electric vehicle owners driving 80 to 100 miles on a charge.  An automobile electrically operated, as it has now developed in the 1914 electric, is destined to be the logical and only suburban and town car for both men and women—they demand simplicity of operation, comfort, and cleanliness, and these, combined with a low cost of upkeep, make the electric inevitable.  Another feature in favor of the electric automobile is the fact that it is practical for the use of cushion tires, which obviate the danger of punctures and blowouts; they are also economical, as they are guaranteed for a distance of 10,000 miles."