In the 1830s, Robert Anderson of Scotland built an electric carriage. Powered by non-rechargeable power cells, the car wasn't very practical. Electric cars wouldn't be practical until rechargeable lead-acid batteries were invented in 1859. By 1886, Karl Friedrich Benz of Germany had invented the first gasoline-powered car. It was a three-wheeled vehicle, which other engineers later improved by adding a fourth wheel and a more efficient engine.