As Europe’s first production hybrids celebrate their 20th birthday, we consider two of the pioneers.
In this month’s Back Box column, Paul Guinness comments on the lack of success enjoyed by Clive Sinclair’s C5 and if we’re being honest that should probably get the prize for being the first properly usable (well, almost) electric vehicle on the UK market in the modern era.
As we point out though, the battery technology of the ’80s wasn’t up to any kind of useful range without pedal assistance and that’s a situation which remained into the ’90s and even today in some respects: battery technology has come on a long, long way but only incrementally and even Tesla hasn’t stumbled across the much-vaunted giant leap which will transform range/weight/ charge time.
This explains why the first truly practical electric cars didn’t rely solely on battery power but used a hybrid system of electric motor and petrol engine.
The German makers pinned their hopes to the hydrogen mast – BMW publicly stated at one point that this was its preferred solution – but the refuelling infrastructure was very much to be a long-term game. All of which left the Japanese makers free to jump in and create the market for petrol-electric hybrid cars, which were in reality far easier to engineer.
The first fully production-ready hybrid to hit the market was the Toyota Prius, which was launched in 1997, having appeared in concept form in 1995. The original model was sold only in Japan, but a revised version produced from 2000 was exported to Europe – although it was very obvious that the core market was California with its strict pollution laws.
Esta historia es de la edición December 13, 2017 de Classic Car Buyer.
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Esta historia es de la edición December 13, 2017 de Classic Car Buyer.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Staff Classics
REPORTING ON: Alfa Romeo GTV
Rootes Group - The Golden Years
The Rootes Group’s finest years commenced immediately after the end of the Second World War with the launch of a handful of brand-new models and lasted until the company was absorbed into the Chrysler empire in the middle of the following decade
MG ZT
The MG ZT was more than a Rover 75 in sports shoes. Much, much more. It was a performance saloon par excellence and today makes for a superb classic sporting bargain
MG Display Controversy
A classic vehicle insurer met with a mixed response at the Classic Motor Show when its display stand depicted a 1998 MGF apparently crushed by a WW2 Hellcat tank. But was this a sacrilegious act against a classic car, or an inspired promotional display?
Extra Ordinary
Exotics are usually the go-to classic investments, but a recent trend in everyday cars means more common street sights could be the way to go
Alternative Go
As the internal combustion engine’s fate seems in question, we look back at its past challengers
Death Of The Sports Car?
Another manufacturer belies its heritage to switch to SUVs
Cool Coupes
Every manufacturer was in on the ’90s coupe trend, stylish two-doors in abundance. But nearly three decades on, which are worth investing in?
Classic Scenes
Writing this as news reports bring us images of Sheffield residents trapped overnight in shopping centers by floods, we were struck by this image from October 1987.
500 Not Out
We identify some modern classics in danger of extinction... and the older cars which massively outnumber them