And they sucked back then too.
Most long distance transportation was by train or boat.
Most destinations were within a few blocks to 20 miles or so of a train station or boat dock.
Most of them used Edison batteries that got better with usage and time and were safe.
Today, except for urban dwellers and some suburban ones and a rare few rural folks, EVs make sense.
Well, except for that possible being burned to a crisp thing.