Received an email about this bit of history.Anyone ever heard of it?
Galt Motor Co.
The Galt was a hybrid (gasoline-electric) car, produced in Galt ON (now Cambridge , ON ) in 1914. The only known remaining example resides at the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa ON . The plaque with the vehicle in the museum reads:
"1914 Galt Gas Electric
Produced in Galt , Ontario
Engine: 2 cylinder, two cycle, 10 HP
Fuel: Gasoline / kerosene mixture
Generator: Westinghouse, 40 volt, 90 amp coupled directly to the gasoline engine.
Transmission: None, the electric motor is connected directly to the differential.
A fine example of Canadian ingenuity in the Automotive field, this car was one of the earliest attempts at a high efficiency automobile. The Galt's gasoline engine turns a turbine (sic) which in turn powers the car electrically. Extra power produced by the generator is stored in batteries found beneath the floor. The batteries could then be used to provide extra power at times of peak load or to operate the car with the gasoline engine turned off.
While the chassis and drive train are original, the body, installed in 1941, is its third. The car was in daily operation from that point until 1946. It is the only Galt Gas Electric in existence. Galt Motor Company
The Galt Gas Electric was the second car to be produced in Galt Ontario and to bear its name. The Galt Motor Co. was founded in 1909 when Moffat St. Claire and Eddy Fleming bought the remaining inventory of Canadian Motors Limited. From the collection St. Claire and Fleming assembled and sold ten automobiles, using the proceeds to finance the development of their gas electric automobile. In 1914, the Galt Gas Electric was unveiled. The car with its unique means of propulsion was easy to operate, having no transmission a single lever provided five speeds forward and three in reverse. The car was highly efficient and was reportedly capable of travelling over 70 miles on a single gallon of gasoline.
The car could also travel a distance of fifteen to twenty miles on a single battery charge, virtually eliminating the risk of being stranded due to a lack of gasoline.
Despite the ingenuity of its designers, the Galt Gas Electric did not prove to be a success. Marketing the car was difficult because of the failure of the first Galt automobile. The car's top speed of 30 miles per hour was another drawback as consumers increasingly showed their preference for more powerful gasoline operated cars." (end of material on plaque at Canadian Automotive Museum )
The small gasoline engine actually turned a large generator (not a turbine) to produce electricity supplied to the motor/batteries. When the generator produced more power than the motor needed, the excess would charge the batteries. When the motor needed more power than the generator could supply, the shortfall was met by discharging the batteries. This configuration is known as a series hybrid. Actually, a top speed of 30 miles per hour was probably plenty anywhere in North America in 1914; few roads would permit safe travel at that speed for any distance at that time.
