World's first hybrid - Porsche Semper Vivus
 

The 1900 Lohner Porsche Semper Vivus was the world's first gas-electric hybrid, with two 3.5hp electric hub motors. A later version had 4 hub motors, making it the first 4-wheel drive car. The 80 volt bank of 44 batteries weighed in at 1800kg and could not be charged from an external source (as in today's plug-in hybrids) but instead was charged with a rear mounted internal combustion engine.

In 1898 Ferdinand Porsche (only 18 yo at the time) constructed an efficient electrical motor small enough to fit inside a wheel, and two years later built the Semper Vivus with Austrian carriage builder Ludwig Lohner & Co.

Porsche Semper Vivus Hybrid - CarSession.com

Lohner Porsche Semper Vivus

Porsche Semper Vivus - Interia.pl

:D Looks fun.

In the first picture, is that a brick wall where the radiator usually is?

Thats some pretty slick engineering right there.....

AND..... LMAO at this question:

That's what it looks like:confused: My only guess is that it may be to add weight to the front wheels for traction.

Also, both pictures suggest that the engine is in the front, while the info I found stated that it was rear-mounted. I'm willing to bet that there were a few units built, each slightly different. The second, color picture is a restored version from this year's Geneva show.

This is incredible how much this man was ahead his time...

Another page with 3 pictures :
The 1899 Lohner Porsche, the first Hybrid Vehicle?

Have fun,

Denis.

Yeah, like over 100 years ahead of his time.

So does this mean that GM has to pay royalties to Porsche over the Chevy Volt now? :confused:

In a time where most carriages had one horse, this was brilliant.

Bob Wilson

More info in texanidiot25's thread.

No, because the lifetime of a (US) patent is only 20 years.

Indeed, it's just the opposite: GM might not be able to validly patent certain parts of the Volt because Porsche had already done them, making it "prior art".