A Gasoline-Electric Automobile 



COMBINING the utility of both a 

 gasoline and an electric automobile, 

 a new flual-jxnver passenger car recently 

 put on the market by a western manu- 

 facturer, may be run by either gasoline 

 or electricity', or both, thus retaining the 

 great mileage ability of the gas car and at 

 the same time the simplicity of the electric. 



The power plant of this unique 

 vehicle consists of a small gasoline 

 motor and an electric-motor generator 

 combined in one unit under a con- 

 ventional hood forward of the dash, and 

 a storage battery carried beneath the 

 rear seats. 



The speed is controlled by two le\-ers 

 mounted on the steering wheel, the 

 power being transmitted through the 

 propeller-shaft directly to the rear axle 

 without clutch, gearset or levers, thus 

 eliminating the trouble of their manipu- 

 lation and at the same time gi\'ing a 

 multiplicity of vehicle speeds. One 

 lever operates the mechanism connecting 

 the storage battery to the electric motor. 

 The other starts the gasoline motor. 



The vehicle is started as an electric by 

 moving the electric control lev-er, which 

 automatically connects the storage bat- 

 tery with the electric motor. As this 

 lever is advanced, the speed of the 

 v'chicle is increased up to twent>' miles 

 an hour. If more 

 speed is required, 

 the gasoline lever is 

 thrown in, connect- 

 ing the gasoline mo- 

 tor with the electric 

 motor, and starting 

 the former without 



stal'ing. .As the gasoline le\er is pushed 

 still farther forward, it causes the ear to 

 be operated more by the gasoline i)ower, 

 until at a certain point the vehicle 

 operates as a gasoline car, neither 

 charging nor discharging the battery. 



By a slight variation of the relative 

 positions of the two levers, the battery 

 may be either charged or discharged at 

 will on any speed from ten miles an hour 

 up to twenty-eight or thirty, the re- 

 tardation of the electric lever causing the 

 electric motor to act as an electric 

 generator dri\'en by the power of the 

 gasoline motor. The current thus gen- 

 erated is used to charge the storage 

 battery while the car is running. 



The same effect may be secured at 

 any speed above six miles an hour by 

 braking through the electric motor when 

 on level ground or when coasting down 

 hills, this being accomplished by a re- 

 tardation of the electric lever. A conven- 

 tional brake pedal is provided for braking 

 at speeds less than six miles an hour. 



While the two power elements em- 

 ployed in the operation of this car are 

 electricity and gasoline, one supplement- 

 ing and augmenting the other, it may be~ 

 run on gasoline power alone. There are 

 no clutches to throw in, no gears to 

 change and no waste of fuel in operating. 



A gasol i ne - 

 electric car 

 which combines 

 the mileage of 

 the gasoline car 

 withthesimplic- 

 ityof the electric 



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