1980 Briggs & Stratton Hybrid Automobile
- Thread starter KeithS_NW_Ohio
- Start date
This is pretty cool. Wonder if it might have taken off if it was more conventional. Hybrid technology has been used in trains for about a century, so really it's more of a surprise that it wasn't done sooner. I suppose cheap gas was to blame, most people simply didn't care about gas mileage for a lot of the automobile's history.
Wow, that's really cool. We clearly had interesting ideas.
Jay's probably the richest regular guy ever.
Wow that's cool!
If only we could get a simple dash and a manual transmission like that in a new car..... 
That is very interesting, thanks for posting!
That is very interesting, thanks for posting!The diesel / electric set up , I would think , allows the elimination of a transmission . Also allows , if needed , an electric motor at each wheel , giving AWD .
Ferdinand Porsche tried to use a similar system in tanks . It was used in the Ferdinand / Elephante self propelled gun . Think it had reliability problems . At least , at first .
I remember reading PopSci in 1975 and seeing a turbine electric car. Harry Grepke built it. Turbine APU/engine, big batteries, really big electric motor. It would burn rubber as I recall.
It was a plug in hybrid for short range and you would fire up the turbine for long drives. Un-muffled, the turbine was REALLY loud, but it would run on just about anything.
More here:
https://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2002-02/persistent-contender-popsci-covers-hybrids/
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There are a few
There are a few companies proposing/making plug-in hybrid vehicles with "microturbines" as range-extenders.
Originally Posted by Astro14
I remember reading PopSci in 1975 and seeing a turbine electric car. Harry Grepke built it. Turbine APU/engine, big batteries, really big electric motor. It would burn rubber as I recall.
It was a plug in hybrid for short range and you would fire up the turbine for long drives. Un-muffled, the turbine was REALLY loud, but it would run on just about anything.
More here:
https://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2002-02/persistent-contender-popsci-covers-hybrids/
Originally Posted by Astro14
I remember reading PopSci in 1975 and seeing a turbine electric car. Harry Grepke built it. Turbine APU/engine, big batteries, really big electric motor. It would burn rubber as I recall.
It was a plug in hybrid for short range and you would fire up the turbine for long drives. Un-muffled, the turbine was REALLY loud, but it would run on just about anything.
More here:
https://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2002-02/persistent-contender-popsci-covers-hybrids/
