The first gasoline-electric hybrid car was built in 1899 by Ferdinand Porsche. This vehicle, called the Lohner-Porsche Semper Vivus, was a groundbreaking prototype that combined a gasoline engine with electric wheel-hub motors. While it never entered mass production, it established the fundamental principle of hybrid technology over a century before it became mainstream.
The Semper Vivus (Latin for "always alive") solved a key problem of early electric cars: limited range. It used a gasoline engine not to drive the wheels directly, but to power a generator. This generator then supplied electricity to the motors located in the front wheel hubs and charged the onboard batteries. This series-hybrid system, known as a range-extender today, allowed the car to run on battery power alone for short distances.
| Early Hybrid Vehicle Milestones (1899-1910) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Vehicle/Inventor | Year | Key Innovation |
| Lohner-Porsche Semper Vivus (Ferdinand Porsche) | 1899 | First functional hybrid car; series-hybrid system with wheel-hub motors. |
| Lohner-Porsche Mixte | 1900 | Refined production version of the Semper Vivus; approximately 300 units built. |
| Woods Interurban (Woods Motor Vehicle Company) | 1905 | A "hybrid-electric buggy" that could switch between electric and gasoline power. |
| Galt Gas-Electric (Canad) | 1910 | A later attempt at a hybrid, showcasing continued interest in the concept. |
However, the technology was ahead of its time. The vehicles were complex, heavy, and expensive compared to the increasingly reliable and cheap Model T, which debuted in 1908. The discovery of vast petroleum reserves made gasoline inexpensive, stifling the need for fuel-efficient alternatives for decades. The true revival of the hybrid wouldn't occur until the late 20th century, culminating in the launch of the Toyota Prius in Japan in 1997, which brought the technology to the global mass market.
