Take a delightful journey through the history of hybrid cars

With this article we invite you to look back at the history of hybrid cars and  witness the creative experiences of the people who shaped the history of automotive technology with their entrepreneurial spirit on hybrid cars. Enjoy the walk through the chronological history of hybrids!

Wondering which is the first hybrid vehicle in the world? Well, different vehicles and events in history could be pointed out to answer your question. Let’s take a chronological look at these historical developments, each of which is invaluable for its benefits and inspiration for electric vehicle technology.

Created in 1896, Armstrong Phaeton could be the world’s first hybrid vehicle. Developed by Harry E. Dey, the vehicle was put into production by the Armstrong Company for Roger Mechanical Carriage Company. The vehicle has a 2-cylinder, 6.5 liter gasoline engine and a dynamo flywheel connected to the battery. The dynamo provides the necessary power to start the engine. The vehicle remained at the company’s premises until 1963. Later, a person named Dennis David bought the vehicle and added it to his own collection. Of course, the journey of the vehicle is not limited to this. It is sold again to another collector and Robin Loder becomes the new owner of the vehicle.

Back to the Future: What 1896 Had in Store for Hybrid Technology

Created in 1896, Armstrong Phaeton could be the world’s first hybrid vehicle. Developed by Harry E. Dey, the vehicle was put into production by the Armstrong Company for Roger Mechanical Carriage Company. The vehicle has a 2-cylinder, 6.5 liter gasoline engine and a dynamo flywheel connected to the battery. The dynamo provides the necessary power to start the engine. The vehicle remained at the company’s premises until 1963. Later, a person named Dennis David bought the vehicle and added it to his own collection. Of course, the journey of the vehicle is not limited to this. It is sold again to another collector and Robin Loder becomes the new owner of the vehicle.

The best feature of the vehicle is that it is still usable today!

Have You Ever Driven a Porsche Signed Electric Phaeton?

According to the statement made by the Porsche company; the first Porsche was produced by Ferdinand Porsche, father of company founder Ferry Porsche, 50 years before The Porsche 356 hit the market. This vehicle, which was produced electrically in 1898, left Porsche officials and fans in surprise. The vehicle was produced with the name Egger-Lohner C.2 Phaeton (Porsche P1), in honor of Egger Lohner. It was abbreviated as P1 inspired by “phaeton” in English. Designed by Ferdinand Porsche at the age of 22, the car is powered by an electrical drive unit mounted on the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle, which weighs 1350 kg and has 3 horsepower (HP), has 12 gears. This vehicle, working with an electric and combustion engine at the same time, is also a candidate for the world’s first hybrid electric car. This vehicle, which was produced in 1898, was closed in a barn after 4 years of use and has remained untouched until today. It has not been modified and is currently exhibited in Germany Stuttgart “Porsche Museum, Zuffenhausen”.

Father Porsche’s Hybrid Creativity Continues At Full Speed

The vehicle named Lohner-Porsche Mixte-Wagen Hybrid is also signed by Ferdinand Porsche. It was created in 1900 according to some sources and in 1902 according to others. This car can be driven by an electric motor when desired. Working with Ludwig Lohner, a Viennese phaeton manufacturer, Porsche, added batteries, a generator and electric motors to a 4-cylinder Daimler engine. In this state, the Mixte could continue to move forward with the electric motor powered by the batteries, even when the gasoline engine was stopped.

Krieger’s Mark on  Hybrid Car History

In 1903, electric-gasoline vehicles were developed by Krieger and the hybrid vehicle concept was created. Some argue that the history of the hybrid-electric car begins here.

The Most Agile Hybrid Car of Its Time 

In 1905, American engineer H. Piper applied for a patent for a hybrid vehicle with a system consisting of an electric motor and a gasoline engine. But unlike today, the goal of Piper’s hybrid design was neither to reduce a vehicle’s fuel consumption nor to reduce emissions. According to the patent application, an electric motor would power a gasoline engine and allow a vehicle to accelerate from 0 to 25 miles in 10 seconds – three times faster than contemporary cars. What a pity for Mr. Piper (timing is everything, especially when it comes to the automotive world), when the patent was issued three and a half years later, the conventional cars had become powerful enough to achieve or exceed the same performance.

The hybrid car world is on the move with “Electric Roadster”

The hybrid automobile “Electric Roadster” produced in 1911-1912 was seen as an advantageous vehicle, but its cost was very high. The Bailey Electric Roaster had a top speed of 30 mph (48 km/h). It had a range of up to 118 miles (190 kms) on a single charge when driven at a speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). 

Slowdown Period for Hybrid Cars

A hybrid electric car was produced by the Woods Motor Vehicle Company in 1916. The parallel hybrid EV model was developed by connecting the four-cylinder petrol engine in the vehicle directly to the electric motor/generator assembly and then to the front drive axle via the conventional drive shaft. From the early 1920s to the 60s, almost all EV manufacturers continued their production using internal combustion engines. As interest in EVs waned between 1920 and 1960, vehicles with internal combustion engines were the focus of attention around the world. 

Behind the waning interest in EVs lay down developments such as; 

• the need for long-range vehicles emerged as a result of the improvement in the physical condition of intercity roads in the United States, 
• the decrease in gasoline prices with the discovery of crude oil in Texas, 
• the invention of the starter motor by Charles Kettering in 1912, 
• Henry Ford’s attempt to mass-produce vehicles with internal combustion engines. and the decrease in vehicle costs

Finally, Mass Produced Hybrid Cars

The 50 years, before the oil crisis hit in the 1970s, led to the production of a variety of experimental hybrid vehicles. Some time later, the idea of taking precautions against negative developments such as the decrease in oil resources and the increase in environmental pollution, came to the fore. In 1997, Toyota introduced the world’s first commercially marketed and mass-produced hybrid car, the Prius, in Japan and work in the field of hybrid cars started again. In 1997, The Prius was sold approximately 18,000 units in its first year of production and 50,000 units in its first year of sale globally. Thus, with the contribution of major automobile manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda, consumers’ adoption of hybrid cars has accelerated. Since then, most automakers have become a part of e-mobility production through hybrid cars.

The historical development of hybrid cars is important to understanding why electric cars hold the key to future mobility. As you take a closer look at the need for hybrid cars to be discovered, the hybrids’ flash and stagnation periods, changing world conditions and new driver needs, you can better understand the electric world.

Today we went over the important developments in the history of hybrids together. Stay in touch with us to see more on these pages. Join our newsletter.