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Surprise! The first hybrid car is a 100-year-old Porsche! The car had in-wheel electric motors and an onboard gas engine to recharge the batteries. This makes the car a serial hybrid (only one engine drives the wheels) like the Volt, instead of a paralell hybrid (both engines drive the wheels) like the Prius. And the car, on the whole, was quite a breakthrough at the time.
The in-wheel electric motors were an absolute stroke of genius as they significantly increased the vehicle's efficiency by removing all mechanical parts. Unlike the Volt, the 1901 Porsche hybrid could only be charged by its onboard engine. Unlike its all-electric predecessors, it didn't have a plug.
Unfortunately, Porsche didn't see any reason to continue development of these hybrid vehicles, as gasoline became exceptionally cheap, and the extra electric motors were prohibitively expensive. And now, 100 years later, the last thing Porsche is concerned with is efficiency. Porsche will have one of their antique electric cars on display at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show. They're using it to promote their new green initiative. Unfortunately, there's no real story there, as Porsche seems to be more interested in luxury SUVs than plug-in hybrids.
But GM has picked up the torch and brightened it with some innovations of their own. The Chevy Volt will soon become the first serial hybrid produced by a major auto company in over 100 years.
Via CNNMoney
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Comments (39)
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written by Magnulus, November 12, 2007
This really isn't that gigantic a revelation, considering that most of the earliest cars were entirely electric.
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written by stephen, November 13, 2007
What a crock. The first Porsche was produced after World War II.
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written by TheFuture.YouHelpBuild, November 13, 2007
I'm just stopping by to say how much I appreciate sites like this one... especially articles that put the spotlight on the fact that electric (yeah, I know 'hybrids' are kinda electric) vehicles have been around for a very long time and that they were basically abandoned because they weren't as profitable as gasoline vehicles.
http://youhelpbuild.blogspot.com/
http://youhelpbuild.blogspot.com/
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written by Magnulus, November 13, 2007
Stephen, the first Porche-branded car was released in 1939. As far as I can remember, that's not after WW2. However, the car that's mentioned in the article linked, while not of the Porche brand, had an engine that was based on Ferdinand Porsche's design, so in some ways, it was definitely a Porsche.
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written by James, November 13, 2007
June 8 1948 is the considered the birth day of Porsche. Reference this link http://www.dennigcars.com/history_of_porsche.htm
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written by Mcsimilian, November 13, 2007
You can see the actual car here in this exhibition
http://www.neustart-ausstellun...n Berlin.
And yes a Porsche was involved in manufacturing this car. (Been there, seen it :-))
http://www.neustart-ausstellun...n Berlin.
And yes a Porsche was involved in manufacturing this car. (Been there, seen it :-))
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written by Sagger, November 13, 2007
You can stop picking on dates on when Porsche started production... The point is that a bloody long time ago an engineer made a car that was way ahead of it's time. Production costs for its time were not right. Only now are we seeing this coming to life soaring global oil prices. The tables have turned, why didn't this masterpiece put into production....
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written by Slacker, November 13, 2007
Fairly short article, but good information none-the-less.
http://askaslacker.blogspot.com
http://askaslacker.blogspot.com
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written by crash course, November 13, 2007
You said - '100 years later, the last thing Porsche is concerned with is efficiency.'
Porsche has always been keen on efficiency and I understand that they're working on converting brake energy into electricity/supplementary power with a view to putting it into production vehicles in the next few years...
Porsche has always been keen on efficiency and I understand that they're working on converting brake energy into electricity/supplementary power with a view to putting it into production vehicles in the next few years...
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written by Inigo Montoya, November 13, 2007
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
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written by Buy Used iPhone, November 13, 2007
Porsche or not Porsche is not the point, considering that in 100 years cars have had almost no progress sucks, specially if we consider how we're polluting the world, and this is just because "someone" (aka the lobbies, the whole oil business scene) don't want us to quit using petrol...
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written by Porsche Owner, November 13, 2007
Porsche is a small performance sector of the market automobile market. Why should they even consider a hybrid? A hybrid porsche without a doubt, will fail!
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written by electric cars, November 13, 2007
why should they be concerned? performance?
http://www.teslamotors.com/
0-60 in 4 seconds, 135mpg
that's performance
http://www.teslamotors.com/
0-60 in 4 seconds, 135mpg
that's performance
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written by Magnulus, November 13, 2007
The big picture is that FULLY ELECTRIC cars existed long before the aforementioned hybrid. Before even internal combustion.
However, there was no cultural imperative to keep doing the electric vehicles back then, due to production costs and environmentalism wasn't exactly even a concept yet back then. Sadly, the gas companies have accumulated so much power since then that it's been difficult to get them back on the road.
However, there was no cultural imperative to keep doing the electric vehicles back then, due to production costs and environmentalism wasn't exactly even a concept yet back then. Sadly, the gas companies have accumulated so much power since then that it's been difficult to get them back on the road.
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written by Scion, November 13, 2007
What ever is economically viable will be produced.
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written by Dan, November 13, 2007
This hybrid, developed by the Porsche Design Company, a design firm that exists to this day, was actually Ferdinand Porsche's second attempt at producing an electric/internal combustion combination vehicle. He created the initial conceptual designs about 4 years previous.
I think its interesting to note that while a majority of people consider the "hybrid" concept is a new one, electric and gas/electric cars have actually been around for well over 100 years.
I've heard the ideology was used in racing by the Porsche design team later on (in the 20's), but it was banned as an "unfair advantage". However I've no sourcing to confirm that.
The first Porsche car rolled off the line (356) in 1948.
I think its interesting to note that while a majority of people consider the "hybrid" concept is a new one, electric and gas/electric cars have actually been around for well over 100 years.
I've heard the ideology was used in racing by the Porsche design team later on (in the 20's), but it was banned as an "unfair advantage". However I've no sourcing to confirm that.
The first Porsche car rolled off the line (356) in 1948.
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written by Dave Nofmeister, November 13, 2007
This is an interesting article, regarding the hybred. Keep in mind, however, when Ford made the Model T, it was capable of going about 50 miles per gallon.
Cheap gas high MPG cars in the marketplace expensive parts to build this car = what killed this hybred.
Cheap gas high MPG cars in the marketplace expensive parts to build this car = what killed this hybred.
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written by Bob, November 13, 2007
This article is about Porsche the man, not Porsche the company. Ferdinand Porsche was a pioneer in the automotive industry. He also designed the Volkswagen Type I (Beetle) for Hitler before starting his own company.
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written by Darren, November 13, 2007
The article is about Ferdinand Porsche -- the guy who created the Volkswagen Beetle for Hitler. Volkswagen became its own company after WWII after Ferdinand died, while Ferdinand's SON FERRY Porsche started the Porsche car company...
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written by Jackson Capper, November 13, 2007
So this was around 100 years ago? I don't feel so advanced anymore. Where are the hydrogen cars? I will drive one and save the environment but where are they? Hurry up technological change! I bet they had plasma TVs too... :(
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written by Sam, November 13, 2007
Umm Porsche was founded in 1931... as a DESIGN company, and still functions primarily as one; LaCie has several hard drives that are designed by Porsche. Ferdinand Porsche was alive 100 years ago, he was working for Jakob Lohner & Co when he helped to design the "hybrid;" however, it was not a Porsche; the first Porsche was a 356A look alike named the "64" and was build in '39. What is even more interesting is around the turn of the century there were several "hybrid" and even electrical and biofuel cars competing with one another. Henry Ford meant for the model-T to run off of ethanol (E100).
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written by Cage, November 13, 2007
Porsche should produce another serial hybrid or phev vehicle. Cost shouldn't be a prohibitive factor in high end sports cars. Put some solar panels on the roof or as a porch awning and this thing would get almost all its power from the sun. Electric drive is quick and fun and makes alot of sence in these types of vehicles.
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written by Dacris, November 14, 2007
What's more disturbing than the fact that "hybrid" technology is nothing new is this new "green" mania sweeping the world, including the over-hyped global warming problem and the suppression of *real* green technologies like free energy. The ads on this page made me cringe at the prospect of more financier-elite socialist control.
The world financiers created the overconsumption that has led to our destruction of planet Earth, and they'll gladly offer up a solution that involves more profits for them and more taxation on the middle class. This is why if we do nothing we'll see biofuels and carbon taxes. If they have it their way, we will never have free energy because it cannot be metered. Free energy has existed since the time of Nikola Tesla. I don't have enough space to go into it but check out this page: http://peswiki.com/energy/Free_Energy_Congress
To stop global warming, we need to go back to the one true currency: gold. We need to stop the over-leveraged fractional-reserve monopolists and create a sound economy with real savings. Our planet would thank us for it. I support Ron Paul 100%.
The world financiers created the overconsumption that has led to our destruction of planet Earth, and they'll gladly offer up a solution that involves more profits for them and more taxation on the middle class. This is why if we do nothing we'll see biofuels and carbon taxes. If they have it their way, we will never have free energy because it cannot be metered. Free energy has existed since the time of Nikola Tesla. I don't have enough space to go into it but check out this page: http://peswiki.com/energy/Free_Energy_Congress
To stop global warming, we need to go back to the one true currency: gold. We need to stop the over-leveraged fractional-reserve monopolists and create a sound economy with real savings. Our planet would thank us for it. I support Ron Paul 100%.
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written by THE ORIGINAL "E.T.", November 14, 2007
Now you know why I was anxious for my ship to return. I've been through this. catch up earth.
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written by gaby, November 14, 2007
This is not a Hybrid! The energy all comes from a gasoline engine! It is just an electrical Transmission. If this is a hybrid then so are most of the large earth movers and diesel/electric railroad engines.
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written by iGuzz, November 14, 2007
It' still amazing even if it's 100 yeas ago
Nice Story. ;D
Nice Story. ;D
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written by trytrtuytui, December 02, 2007
http://www.forex.co.ir/
http://www.meta-fx.com/ فاركس
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written by Texxx, December 02, 2007
I can't help wondering how many of these posts are written by people over the age of 15. Many of them are just bickering and from people that obviously haven't payed attention to the article.
Let's just take a little more time to read it next time...
Let's just take a little more time to read it next time...
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written by HybridAutoInfo, February 17, 2008
This is a very interesting article. With gas prices being low, there was no real reason for any company to find an alternative to it. How times have changed!
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written by eric, March 04, 2008
I want one of those now. Thats the most eco car i've seen ever!
Kind regards
Kind regards
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written by Mo, June 02, 2008
Sorry but the first hybrid was seen in the Paris Salon of 1899. It was made by Pieper Establishments of Liege, Belgium and Vendovelli and Priestly Electric Carriage Company, France. You might want to correct your infos.
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written by tom wilson, September 19, 2008
Gaby, you could argue that point either way. A hybrid is any vehicle that uses more than one power source. If that thing uses a battery to temporarily store power, then it definitely fits the description.
Hybrid doesn't mean "better". It only means "more than one". So yes, diesel locomotives could qualify. In fact, did you know that the dynamic braking used on locomotives is very much like regenerative braking used in hybrid and electric cars?
Hybrid doesn't mean "better". It only means "more than one". So yes, diesel locomotives could qualify. In fact, did you know that the dynamic braking used on locomotives is very much like regenerative braking used in hybrid and electric cars?
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written by keith, April 11, 2009
Porsche has had their name on cars since / before 1900 but they didn't fully venture on their own till later just as "vw" was produced via Porsche and the Nazi's but most people don't know that anyways always do your research on anything before you speak on it
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written by Intensive Driving Courses, May 27, 2009
I am sorry but this is not the first hybrid the first was created in 1899 byeEstablishments of Liege, Belgium and Vendovelli and Priestly Electric Carriage Company, France. You might want to correct your infos.
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written by drewt, November 03, 2009
Good facts. I'm gonna wait for the next update on this.
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