The car was found, according to Porsche, in an Austrian warehouse where it had apparently been left untouched since 1902. … the 'Egger-Lohner C.2 electric vehicle,' rolled onto the streets of Vienna for the first time on June 26, 1898, and Ferdinand Porsche made sure that he would take credit for the vehicle's design in a most unusual manner: He engraved the code 'P1' … USA Today says the car's “first serious test came in a race for electric cars in September 1899. …

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Midtown blogger: The First Porsche was an Electric Vehicle- WNYC