Alternative Power Cars, From Past To Future, On Display At Petersen Automotive Museum

Steam, Electric, Coal Gas, Fuel Cell and Even Turbine Cars Showcase the Imagination of Automotive Engineers across Two Centuries – Opens April 22nd

LOS ANGELES - April 2006: The Petersen Automotive Museum, a pioneer in automotive education, and one of the nation’s largest and preeminent automotive museums, will open the Alternative Power: Propulsion After Petroleum exhibit showcasing the history and possible future of alternative auto technologies.

Opening Saturday, April 22, 2006 and running through September 10, the exhibition will display an amazing array of electric, hydrogen, and turbine vehicles that span two centuries of automotive innovations, from 1894 to the present. The exhibit will also present instructional displays of the various technologies from each period and peer into what the future may hold for alternatively-fueled vehicles.

“The Alternative Power exhibit traces the exciting evolution of automotive fuels and power sources from steam to hydrogen,” says Dick Messer, Petersen Automotive Museum Director. “Experimentation and discovery of new technologies is what really drives the auto industry and a walk through this exhibit is an entertaining trip from the past into our future beyond petroleum.”

From humble beginnings when any form of transport not involving a horse or mule was considered “alternative power,” to today’s myriad of hybrid vehicles and hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars, the search for horsepower without petroleum has lead engineers and designers down many interesting paths. Not all of these approaches were technologically feasible or embraced by the public, but all of them remain interesting detours along the evolving automotive landscape.

One of the earliest self-propelled vehicles in the exhibit is an electric-powered 1894 Anthony, built in Los Angeles by 16-year old Earle C. Anthony. Looking like a cross between a wooden crate and a bicycle, the Anthony’s unfamiliar engineering and delicate construction prevented wide public acceptance and it was not produced in quantity.

Steam power, the world’s oldest method of vehicle propulsion, is represented by the rare 1909 White. Built in Cleveland, Ohio, the White was equipped with a boiler located under the front seat, a placement that undoubtedly proved unsettling to more than one passenger. But regardless of the boiler’s location, the cold starting and complicated maintenance requirements shared by all steamers assured that steam was one of the first forms of alternative power to be discarded by modern engineers.

1917 Woods Dual Power The 1917 Woods Dual Power featured a four-cylinder gas engine coupled to an electric motor-generator. Built only in 1917 and 1918, the early gas-electric hybrid was too expensive, slow, and difficult to service to be a commercial success. (Photograph courtesy of Petersen Automotive Museum Archives)

Hybrid vehicles were also on the automotive scene fairly early as illustrated by the exhibit’s 1917 Woods Dual Power, which features a four-cylinder gas engine coupled to an electric motor-generator. Built for just two years, this early gas-electric hybrid was too expensive, too slow, and too difficult to service to be a commercial success.

During the pre- and post-WWII era, gas shortages plagued much of Europe, so manufacturers developed vehicles like the 1938 Citroen 11, which was fitted with a fender-mounted coal gas generator. This application allowed for the burning of wood or coal so the car could be driven despite the severe gas shortages of the day.

Gas turbines, a propulsion system that does not utilize reciprocating mechanical components driven by internal combustion played a role, beginning in the 1950s. Gas turbines, powered by exploding gases passing over fan blades in a continuous combustion process were first built by the British firm Rover in 1950. In 1963, Chrysler built approximately 50 gas turbine cars to loan free-of-charge to preferred customers in order to evaluate their drivability. While the experiment proved that the time had not yet come for turbine power, a tiny number of the exotic-looking vehicles were saved and one will be featured in the exhibition.

1986 Sunray Built in Hawaii, the 1986 Sunray was representative of the electric cars that proliferated after the 1973 fuel crisis. While such cars were eye-catching and innovative, inadequate battery technology hampered their performance and the vehicles were not regarded as practical alternatives to traditionally engineered cars. (Photograph courtesy of Personal Electric Transports, Inc.)

Following the 1973 fuel crisis, designers and engineers renewed an interest in electric cars, like the exhibit’s featured 1986 Sunray, a tiny beauty more golf cart than go-getter, which was built in Hawaii. Such vehicles were eye-catching and innovative, but inadequate battery technology hampered their performance. Most were not regarded as practical alternatives to traditional gas-powered transportation.

Diesel power, kerosene power and biodeisel, which employs a mixture of diesel fuel and biological products like cooking oil, have been highly to marginally successful alternatives to gasoline power. Today’s gas-electric hybrids could easily have been inspired by earlier versions like Ferdinand Porsche’s 1902 concept which employed hub motors built into the front wheels – a concept even today considered an advanced technology.

The Petersen Automotive Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles. Admission prices are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students with ID, and $3 for children ages 5 to 12. Museum members and children under five are admitted free. Covered parking is available for $6.00 per car. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For general Museum information, call (323) 930-CARS or visit the Museum’s web site address at www.petersen.org