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In the 1900 Paris World Fair, Ferdinand Porsche (the founder of Porsche and the creator of the volkswagen beetle) created an Electric carriage and called it the System Lohner-Porsche. Later that year, he created the Mixte, which was a 4WD version of the carriage.
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Henri Pieper created a hybrid vehicle was made. It had an electric motor and a generator, a smaller gasoline engine and batteries.. It used the electric motor to charge its batteries and used both of the motors so it could climb a hill or accelerate.
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Erich Gaichen invented an electric car with 1/2 horsepower. The max. speed of the car was 40kmph. It was a smart car as when it went downhill, the battery charged. Some of the features in the car, are used today in our hybrid cars.
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In 1951, the French company Compagnie Normande d'Etudes pour created the Arbel, made from fiber-glass and was a hybrid-petrol-electric -vehicle, but was mainly made for experiment purposes, until it was shown at a show in Paris and the French War Department showed interest in it.
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In the early 1970's there was a rise in fuel consumption, also known as the 'fuel crisis.' So inventors turned to fuel efficient cars to help save the planet and stop using fuel wastefully.
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The Toyota Prius (made and launched in Japan) was the first mass-produced and the mass-selling hybrid car.
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The Honda Insight was the world's second mass-produced hybrid car. This, along with the Toyota Prius (the first mass-produced hybrid car,) was made in Japan.
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This year, the more 'distingushed' car brands have released Hybrids, such as Ferrari with the La-Ferrari and McLaren with the McLaren P1.
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Recently, major car brands have released plans for new hybrid/fuel efficient cars in 2014. These include the Toyota Prius, The Range Rover hybrid, The Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, The BMW i8, The Volkswagen e-Up! and the Chevrolet Volt.
