Who was responsible for designing and constructing the first hybrid car?

Automakers promote hybrid vehicles as groundbreaking innovations for transportation, but the truth is, they've been in existence for more than a century. The fundamental mechanisms and systems in today's hybrids closely resemble those used in America at the dawn of the 20th century.

Hybrid vehicles operate by combining two distinct power sources to generate motion. The most prevalent hybrid system is the gas-electric hybrid, which integrates an internal combustion engine with an electric motor powered by batteries. Interestingly, during the late 1800s and early 1900s, electric vehicles were gaining prominence in the automotive world [source: Hybrid Cars]. For instance, in 1897, the London Electric Cab Company deployed cabs with 40-cell batteries and 3-horsepower electric motors, capable of traveling 50 miles (80 kilometers) without recharging [Source: Hybrid Cars]. Additionally, the Pope Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Conn., manufactured nearly 500 electric cars for sale in the subsequent two years.

During the era when these companies were developing and utilizing electric cars, a German engineer was crafting his first automobile, the Lohner Electric Chaise, recognized as the world's inaugural front-wheel-drive vehicle. The creator, Ferdinand Porsche, a name revered by car enthusiasts, later designed the first-ever hybrid vehicle [source: Hybrid Cars]. Porsche was employed by the Lohner Carriage Company as they ventured into the horseless carriage market [source: Wand]. His design featured a series hybrid system, similar to those in modern hybrids like the Chevy Volt, where batteries served as the main power source for the wheels instead of the internal combustion engine.

Proceed to the next page to discover more about the Lohner-Porsche hybrid and the emergence of other hybrids during that period.

Examples of Early Hybrids

Porsche's hybrid vehicle featured an internal combustion engine that operated at a steady speed to power a generator, which charged the car's batteries [source: Wand]. These batteries supplied electricity to motors embedded in the wheel hubs. When fully charged, the hybrid could travel nearly 40 miles (64.3 kilometers) [source: Hybrid Cars]. This vehicle was revolutionary, not only as the first gas-electric hybrid but also as an early example of in-wheel motor technology.

Much like modern in-wheel motor systems, Porsche's hub motors removed the necessity for a gearbox, drive shafts, chains, and a clutch, significantly reducing mechanical friction and enabling the vehicle to utilize 83 percent of its generated energy [source: Wand]. Later, Porsche enhanced the design by adding hub motors to all four wheels, boosting the car's power and enabling it to achieve a top speed of 70 mph (112.6 kilometers per hour) [source: Wand].

While Porsche's hybrid was the first to be developed, Henri Pieper, a German inventor, filed for a U.S. patent on his hybrid design in 1905 and secured it in 1909 [Source: Hybrid Cars]. Pieper's concept mirrored many modern hybrids, utilizing both a gasoline engine and an electric motor to drive the vehicle as required.

Pieper's design closely resembles the parallel hybrid system found in the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight [Source: Hybrid Cars]. In a parallel system, both the electric motor and the gasoline engine work together to deliver power to the wheels [Source: Hybrid Center]. When the engine operates independently, the motor functions as a generator to recharge the batteries. However, during high-demand situations, such as climbing steep hills, the electric motor collaborates with the engine to supply additional power to the wheels [Source: Hybrid Center].

Having explored the origins of the first hybrid vehicle and an early hybrid design, let's move to the next page to uncover why hybrids didn't dominate the automotive market initially and how subsequent advancements propelled them into the spotlight.

Early Hybrid Vehicle Production

At the first National Automobile Show in New York City in 1900, a poll revealed attendees' preferences: electric vehicles topped the list, followed by steam-powered cars, with internal combustion engines trailing behind [Source: Hybrid Cars]. Hybrid vehicle production thrived during this period but declined after Henry Ford introduced the automobile assembly line [Source: Hybrid Cars].

Ford's assembly line revolutionized car manufacturing, producing affordable and lightweight vehicles that captured public interest [Source: Hybrid Cars]. In 1913, Ford sold 182,809 Model Ts, while sales of non-gasoline-powered cars steadily declined [Source: Hybrid Cars].

Interest in hybrid vehicles resurfaced in the late 1960s and early 1970s, prompting automobile companies and scientists to revisit the technology [Source: Hybrid Cars]. The 1970s oil embargo spurred the U.S. Department of Energy to explore alternative car technologies, including Volkswagen's parallel hybrid, the VW Taxi, which could switch between gasoline-powered internal combustion engines and electric power [Source: Hybrid Cars].

Over the following decades, car manufacturers continued experimenting with alternative technologies. In 1999, Honda launched the Insight, the first mass-market hybrid in the U.S. [Source: Hybrid Cars]. A year later, Toyota unveiled the Prius, which earned Motor Trend Magazine's Car of the Year award in 2004. While these vehicles use the parallel hybrid system, Porsche's series-parallel system remains influential in modern hybrids.

Nearly a century passed before automakers began mass-producing hybrid vehicles in America. During this time, advancements in battery technology, engine efficiency, and electrical systems have enhanced the potential for future hybrid vehicles.

To learn more about hybrid cars and their functionality, proceed to the next page.