The evolution of the hybrid car is certainly fascinating, but it also has a history that spans several centuries, a fact that many are surprised to learn. Long before today’s sporty, fuel-efficient hybrids, the idea for early hybrids involved using steam as a power source and “cars” could reach speeds of six miles per hour.
In 1839, a man named Robert Anderson living in Scotland created the first moving vehicle that used electricity for power. Fifty years later, in Germany, a young Dr. Ferdinand Porsche built his first car called the Lohner Electric Chair, which also happened to be the world’s first front-wheel drive car and could travel about 40 miles on battery power alone.
The 20th century saw a boom in hybrid vehicles in the United States and, ironically, it was Henry Ford and the advent of his self-starting gasoline engine that could be mass-produced on assembly lines that led to the decline of hybrids. . Once Ford was able to greatly improve the gasoline engine, primarily by reducing loud noise and unpleasant odours, the electric vehicle took a backseat in the auto industry.
In the 1970s, gasoline prices skyrocketed, once again sparking new interest in a vehicle that uses electricity. In West Germany, the Volkswagen company produced a hybrid car called the VW Taxi. This vehicle was designed to alternate between an electric motor and a gasoline engine, much like today’s hybrids.
In the United States, AM General, which was a division of American Motors (AM), began producing electric trucks for government use in 1975. Government programs were soon implemented to advance and improve this exciting technology of the future. Laws were also soon enacted that allowed the auto industry to work with the government to improve hybrid vehicles and their components.
Back in the 1980s, when plans to protect the environment really came to the fore, a number of different companies tried to develop their own unique hybrid cars, none of which were very powerful or could hold a charge for as long as ours would. fast-paced society. demand. A few years later, in 1992, Toyota announced its plans to develop a vehicle that would produce the lowest possible emissions and thus be the best for the environment.
Fast-forward from the days of the creation of the Ford Motor Company to nearly a hundred years later, in 1994, the head of the Toyota Motor Corporation asked his engineers to create a vehicle that combined the use of gasoline and electricity, but also doubled the economy. made out of fuel. Three years later, the Toyota Prius was introduced to the Japanese market, a full two years ahead of schedule, selling nearly 20,000 cars that first year.
In 1997, Audi began mass-producing a hybrid vehicle in Europe, the Audi Duo, though its minimal success was short-lived and it was later discontinued. In 1999, Honda created the Insight, a two-door hybrid that received several awards for its favorable mileage ratings.
The following year, in 2000, Toyota introduced the Prius to the rest of the world, making it the first four-door hybrid available in the U.S. The Prius became so popular that in 2004 there was a six-month waiting list for consumers who wanted to buy the car, as Toyota proudly proclaimed it to be the best-selling vehicle they had ever owned.
The future is bright for hybrid cars as technology continues to advance, finding ways to save more energy, use less fuel and require less maintenance. Now, there are several car manufacturers that have a variety of hybrid models including SUVs available in the market today.