Journey of hybrid cars through history
A hybrid car can be defined as a vehicle that uses two or more sources of power for proper functioning and moving. A hybrid car has both electric motor as well as combustion engine, which generates power to move the vehicle.
A hybrid car works in a way by combining the power generated from electric batteries and gasoline engine. The theory behind the development of the hybrid cars is the awareness of the discovery of the less damaging power generating methods. The hybrid cars were made as a solution for preserving the oil resources, increasing prices of gasoline and effects of vehicle emission on the environment. Almost all the leading automobile companies are manufacturing hybrid cars due to its large number of benefits.
Hybrid cars are not something invented in the recent times but have a long history. Ferdinand Verbiest in 1665 came up with the idea for the first time when he tried to run a vehicle using steam engine or by moving. Nicholas Cugnot tried to put the dean to practice in 1769. He worked on steam-powered engine and was successful in moving the vehicle at the speed of six miles an hour. It was difficult to move the vehicle for a long distance; therefore, the project did not proceed further.
In nineteenth century, Robert Anderson designed the first car powered by electricity in 1839. It was also not a proper hybrid car as it was difficult to recharge the car and it therefore had a very limited range. After a few years in 1870, David Solomon, another scientist, made a lighter motor for the hybrid vehicle. Recharging was difficult and costly, so the idea was not practical enough to put into use.
This vehicle has its own drawbacks because it could not cover longer distances until it was recharged again. In 1870, David Solomon developed a lighter motor for the hybrid car but the problem of recharging remained as it is. Hence, this idea didn\'t sell as well. Investors viewed the development of hybrid cars as a golden chance for investment.
In 1898, Porsche was the company that used a combined internal combustion and electric engine to derive the power. The batteries were installed in the wheel hubs of the vehicle. The vehicle could easily travel a distance of forty miles, without any recharging on a single battery.
These vehicles could cover a distance of 50miles in one go. Porsche was the very first company to introduce a vehicle that utilized the combined internal combustion and the electric engine to generate power. In this vehicle, the wheel hubs were used to place the batteries. It had the ability to cover a distance of 50miles, without recharging.
Pieper, a Belgian automaker discovered a breakthrough technology for the hybrid car. He integrated a horse power motor with the electric motor, which served as a standby power generator. This type of vehicle depended upon a battery pack in order to work properly. Battery pack was soon replaced by a four-cylinder gas engine by Commercial Built Trucks Company. Unfortunately, this company did not manufacture a lot of vehicles. During the twentieth century, hybrid vehicles gained popularity once again.
Other hybrid vehicles were also designed till 1997. But in 1997, Toyota was the first company that developed an efficient and practical hybrid car. These hybrid cars gained popularity. After that, brand like Honda also cracked the hybrid car market and different modifications since then have made hybrid cars the first option for the customers when buying a car.
Browse the Lexus range of Hybrid Cars and book a test drive online, visit the Lexus website for more information.
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