Apologies if this has already been posted, I didn't see it anywhere and thought the whole history behind the hybrid vehicle was an interesting read (going back 100+ years!) Back to the Past: The History of Hybrids By Larry E. Hall Technology resuscitates the gasoline-electric hybrid. Timing is often everything in the automotive world. Take American engineer H. Piper for example. In 1905, Piper filed a patent for a gasoline engine-electric motor powertrain—a hybrid. But unlike today, the purpose of Piper's hybrid design wasn't to increase a vehicle's fuel mileage and lower its emissions. According to the patent application, an electric motor would augment a gasoline engine, allowing a vehicle to accelerate from zero to 25 miles an hour in a sizzling 10 seconds—three times faster than contemporary cars. Full Article
