The electric-powered Columbia was developed in 1896 in Hartford, Connecticut. Five hundred electric and forty gasoline carriages were manufactured. In 1899, the Columbia Automobile Company was formed. The company built two thousand cars to use as taxicabs in major U.S. cities. A subsidiary of the Columbia Automobile Company, Electric Vehicle Company, held the Selden patent, which gave it the rights to the gasoline engine. By enforcing this patent, Electric Vehicle was able to collect royalties from most car manufacturers of the day. Most complied, but some did not, including Henry Ford. A 1911 lawsuit was settled in favor of the manufacturers.