Blast From The Past

Is today's car hybrid technology a blast from the past? It very well could be according to Autobloggreen via a 1969 issue of Popular Science. The article talks about a 1969 GM concept car, the XP-883. This car could go all electric when driving under 10 m.p.h. It also was able to switch to all electric mode. So why did this car never go into production? GM officials never gave it a go.

From the Popular Science article:

• "Wouldn't it be great to have a car that changed from electric drive for use around town to gasoline power for highway driving? Impossible? Impractical? No-GM has built one, and it makes so much sense that we feel they're missing a bet if they don't put it into production."
• "You may think this little hybrid is pretty far advanced, but the fact is, it can be built today. It's not held up because engineers are searching for a breakthrough."
• "You can run the XP-883 either as an all-electric, or with hybrid drive. Even if you select the hybrid, it will run on electric power alone up to 10 m.p.h."
• "In case your batteries run down, the car is equipped with an on-board charger that can be connected to an external 115-volt AC source."
• "But whether, and when, you'll drive one is something GM chiefs haven't made up their minds about yet."

I wonder what our world would be like today if everyone had used this car instead of a regular sedan. Cheaper gas? Less pollution? Less lung problems? Maybe. We will never know because of GM.

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