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History of Hybrid Car

The application for a patent for a hybrid gasoline and electric motor power train in 1905 brought the technology of hybrid motors into existence. At that time the energy saving features were not the focal point of this dual power model but the history of hybrid car technology had been born. This application dealt with supplementing a gasoline power engine to the point that it would have an increase in speed to go from zero to twenty-five miles an hour in ten seconds. By the time the patent was approved, three years later, however car speeds had already reached this acceleration speed.

There were quite a few people interested in hybrid technology, and some were long before the application for this particular patent was submitted. There were some inventors that realized the effect that hybrid technology could give electric running automobiles an added speed boost if they were combined with the horsepower that was afforded through the use of gasoline engines. The difference in these speeds jumped an amazing 15 miles per hour. The history of hybrid car products on the highway was just emerging to the forefront of American minds during this time.

There were hybrid trucks being built as early as 1918. Consumers chose speed over gas savings in 1914, when a company developed a hybrid that would offer an astounding 70 miles to each gallon of gas, an amount that is available in some models being offered now in the year 2007. It was the top speed of 30 miles an hour that changed consumers mind to pursue models that were a bit quicker.

The health effects that were caused by internal combustion engines were noted by health officials in the late 1960's. In 1966, the United States Congress recognized the need to reduce air pollution and recommended bills that led to interest in the production of electric vehicles. The first car manufacturer to jump on the band wagon to perform research and develop these electric cars.

Further development interests led to the production of an advanced battery that would allow the electric vehicles the opportunity to be suitable for highway use. Experimentation was done to enhance the number of charges these batteries could take to prolong their time on the roadways. The concentration on developing hybrid automobiles had reached a worldwide effort by the time the oil embargos were affecting the prices of fuels around the world.

With the effects of pollution becoming worse in large cities, countries such as Germany and Japan took the production levels of the hybrid car center stage, with developments by Volkswagen and Toyota featuring prototype hybrid taxis and engines. The state of California was the first government to require a certain percentage of sales be automobiles that met the new Zero Emission Vehicle policies. This made the advancement of hybrid automobiles more prevalent in our society. Toyota was the first company to offer hybrid automobiles for sale to the public in December 1997. It was marketed solely to Japanese people.

For hybrid car sales in the United States, Honda was the first to offer a two-seated hybrid in 2000 and further expanded the offering of hybrid vehicles to the United States only two months later with a compact car model, the Prius. The classic style of the ever popular gas saving model, Civic, was then offered in hybrid car form in 2002 and received great reviews. Other automakers followed suit, with Ford offering the Escape Hybrid in 2004. This was also the first hybrid that had a sports utility vehicle feature. The production of the hybrid car will continue, as popularity intensifies, and the American public will relish in the tax saving and economical features that the hybrid automobile brings to the benefit of the American people.