As you may have read, I’m going to try the Mt Washington Auto Road on the 16th.  It’s been done before…  by a Mr. Charles MacArthur, but I have not been able to contact him, or learn much more about his work with EVs until now…  but I just found this post on electricvehiclesnews.com:

  • 1974: Corbin-Gentry Inc. begins sale of street legal electric motorcycles.
  • Professor Charles E. MacArthur makes first electric vehicle ascent on Mt. Washington, NH using a Corbin Electric motorcycle. The event evolved into an annual rally called the “Mt Washington Alternative Vehicle Regatta”.

Now we’re getting somewhere.  And here, folks, is the account of the ride in 1975.  …and who should appear?  Indeed… None other than Mike Corbin, making history once again!  Here’s the press release from Corbin, ca. 1974 via MGMOJO:

CORBIN GENTRY 1974 PRESS RELEASE:
(taken from the orginal document in its entirety)

DURING THE MORNING OF JULY 13, 1974, PROF. CHARLES E. MACARTHER, RIDING A CORBIN ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE (XLP-1), ASCENDED MT. WASHINGTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE VIA THE AUTO ROAD, A DISTANCE OF EIGHT MILES WITH A MAXIMUM GRADE OF 18% AND AVERAGE GRADE OF 12%. A TOTAL CLIMB OF 4688 FEET. THIS WAS THE WORLD’S FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE ASCENT.

THIS ASTOUNDING ACCOMPLISHMENT OF MACARTHURS AND HIS ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE, HAS EVOLVED INTO AN ANNUAL RALLY NAMED “THE MT. WASHINGTON ALTERNATIVE VEHICLE REGATTA.”

Here’s some information I’ve posted about the Corbin bike.

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