The 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	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 620B	Ivy Farm Dairy	Morrison-Electricar D5	Dairy
	1965	DOG 639C	Handsworth Dairies	Wales & Edwards 'Intermediate'	Dairy
	1968	WVK 109H	General Post Office	Smiths 'Commuter'	Mailvan
	1969	PFK 339M	Bennetts Dairies & Farmers	Ross 'Stallion'	Dairy
	1982	YVC 766X	Leicester Co-op	M & M 'Electron Majestic'	Refrigerated van