History of Hybrid Cars

Hybrid vehicles have been around longer than the fuel-powered cars that were invented and popularized in the 19th century. The following details attempts to create hybrid cars at different points in history:

Pre-18th Century Efforts

The first move toward a hybrid vehicle is believed to be in 1665, when Ferdinand Verbiest, a Jesuit priest, began work on plans for a simple four wheeled vehicle that could run on steam or be pulled by a horse. Over a fifteen year period, Verbiest worked to refine his creation, although there is no evidence that this hybrid vehicle ever came to fruition.

Nicholas Cugnot came up with a working steam-powered carriage in 1769. Not only did Cugnot's invention get off the drawing board, but it was able to move along at a top speed of six miles per hour. Unfortunately, maintaining enough steam to travel any real distance was difficult to accomplish, so this Frenchman's project did not lead to any innovations in mass transportation.

19th Century Progress

Scotland was the site of the first electric powered car in 1839. Designed by Robert Anderson, the vehicle had limited range and a battery power that was difficult to recharge. By 1870, Sir David Solomon had come up with a lighter motor for a carriage, but still faced problems creating a battery that could easily and reliably be recharged. With a very limited range and a costly process for recharging, his idea did not get very far.

Within a decade, business investors in London gained an interest in developing an electric taxicab. The design supposedly called for a 28-cell battery system that would drive a small electric motor. While this one did not come into regular use, it did pave the way for a more successful effort in 1897. In that year, the London Electric Cab Company began to provide service in the city, using cabs powered by a 40 cell battery and a three horsepower electric motor. Dubbed the "Bersey Cab" after its inventor, Walter Bersey, the cab could go up to fifty miles before the battery had to be recharged.

Porsche developed the first electric and internal combustion engine in 1898. The electric batteries were located in the wheel hubs. This vehicle