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Our Battery Electric Collection

The Museum acquired its first battery-electric road vehicle in 1986. Since then an important collection of these vehicles has been established with a sustained restoration programme.

Our unique collection of these humble vehicles contains many reminders of a way of life that is rapidly disappearing. The dairyman delivering door to door every day is still found in most areas, although declining in numbers. Once upon a time the bakeries carried out similar rounds, also using battery-electric vehicles which were ideal for such stop-start work, not using any fuel during the very frequent stops. Birmingham Co-operative Society was locally very important in this field, also using battery-electric vehicles on laundry rounds, all their customers receiving a dividend on everything they bought from the Co-op, to spend later. Another very important regional dairy was Midland Counties Dairy with many depots. Our battery-electric collection portrays a number of dairies now lost to the conglomerates.
 
Occasionally vehicles may be stored off-site or away on excursions or private hire. Please check beforehand if you are planning a visit to see a particular vehicle.

Date	Info	Reg. No.	Original Operator	Chassis	Type of Body
1935		AOX 653	Manufacturer’s demonstrator then Fowlers Forest Dairies	Electricars CY2	Streamlined van
1938		FWB 784	Brightside & Carbrook Co-op	Metro-Vick 18/22 cwt	Dairy
1944		HXB 658	Metropolitan Boro. of Fulham	Midland TWB	Tower wagon
c. 1946		Unregistered	Metro-Cammell	Electricars TU20	Platform truck
1947		HYN 86	Co-operative Wholesale Socy.	Brush 10/14 cwt Mark II	Bakery
1950		XMT 422	United Dairies	Wales & Edwards ‘Standard’	Dairy
1952		XMP 457	United Dairies	Graiseley pedestrian	Dairy
1953		NVP 144	Birmingham Co-op	Morrison-Electricar D1 20 cwt	Bakery
1954		OOA 655	Birmingham Co-op	Morrison-Electricar D1	Van (rebodied in 1980s)
1954		ROA 127	Birmingham Co-op	Morrison-Electricar D1 30 cwt	Dairy
1954		LBC 136	Frears & Blacks	Wilson BMW	Bakery
c. 1955		OAA 580	Lavender Farm Dairy	Victor B20	Dairy
1955		RLW 610	Express Dairy	Helecs ‘Rider Pram’	Dairy
1955		ROM 65	Midland Counties Dairy	Morrison-Electricar MD20	Dairy (rebodied in 1960s)
1956		SJW 599	Midland Counties Dairy	Midland B30	Dairy
1956		YTB 191	Ten Acres & Stirchley Co-op	Morrison-Electricar D1 30 cwt	Dairy
1957		TGC 815	General Post Office	Harbilt 7 cwt pedestrian	Parcel van
1957		955 ADH	Walsall & District Co-op	Smiths S65	Dairy
1957		WOA 26	Handsworth Dairies	Smiths SS	Dairy
1958		XOG 847	Handsworth Dairies	Wales & Edwards ‘Standard’	Dairy
1958		358 EDH	Walsall & District Co-op	Smiths 2 ton	Dairy
1959		339 DTV	Nottingham Co-op	Smiths 2 ton	Dairy
1963		8505 PF	United Dairies	Wales & Edwards ‘Loadmaster’ artic	Dairy
1964		ERO 620 B	Ivy Farm Dairy	Morrison-Electricar D5	Dairy
1965		DOG 639 C	Handsworth Dairies	Wales & Edwards ‘Intermediate’	Dairy
1968		ROL 982 G	Birmingham Dairies	Wales & Edwards	Dairy
1969		WVK 109 H	General Post Office	Smiths ‘Commuter’	Mailvan
1973		PFK 339 M	Bennetts Dairies & Farmers	Ross ‘Stallion’	Dairy
1982		YVC 766 X	Leicester Co-op	M & M ‘Electron Majestic’	Refrigerated van