That Christmas, the vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company celebrated by wrapping 80 red, white and blue bulbs around the Christmas tree he set up at his home on East 36th Street.

But first, Edison established the Edison Electric Light Co., assigned 2,500 shares to himself and sold 500 shares to investors including William Vanderbilt. Edison’s team made two major innovations.

Excited about your new electric vehicle? Thomas Edison would be, too. He tried to produce electric vehicles for Ford around 1900. Petroleum-based vehicles dashed his dreams of the electric car, and… ...