
28 Electrical system
28.1 The charging system
General background
It was not until 1912 that the motor car began to
acquire a recognizable electrical system. In that year
the first successful self-contained electrical system,
which performed the three basic functions of starting,
ignition and lighting, was introduced on the American
Cadillac car. An engine-driven generator provided a
charging current for the battery whilst the car was being
used, otherwise the battery would quickly have become
discharged. The system was developed in conjunction
with Charles F. Kettering, whom it may be recalled was
mentioned in Section 10.1 in connection wit ...