The Grinnell was an electric car

History of the electric vehicle

The history of the electric vehicle began in the mid-19th century. An electrical vehicle held the vehicular land speed record until around 1900. The high cost, low top speed and short range of electric vehicles, compared to later internal combustion vehicles, led to a worldwide decline in their use...

 manufactured in Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

 by the Grinnell Electric Car Company from 1910-13. The Grinnell was a five-seater closed coupe that sat on a 8 ft (2.4 m) wheelbase. The company claimed to have a 90 miles (144.8 km) range per charge. The vehicle cost $2,800. By contrast, Ford Model F

Ford Model F

The Ford Model F is an automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company. It was a development of the Model A and Model C, but was larger, more modern, and more luxurious. It was a four-seater phaeton with running boards and a side-entrance tonneau standard. Production started in 1905 and ended in 1906...

 of 1905 and the Enger 40 were both US$2000, the FAL

Fal-Car

The Fal-Car, originally known as A Car Without A Name, was an American automobile manufactured from 1909 until 1914 by a company that identified itself in advertisements only as Department C, 19 North May Street, Chicago. The address had previously been the location where the Reliable-Dayton...

 was US$1750, the Oakland 40 US$1600, and the Cole 30 and Colt Runabout US$1500.

There is no known connection with the Phipps-Grinnell company.