The first gasoline hybrid electric car came out not in 1983, but in 1917. The Woods Dual Power was built by Woods Motor Vehicle Company of Chicago. Because the gasoline engine was so crude but provided more power and electric cars were smoother but had limited range, Woods Motor Vehicle Company wanted to supply a car that would give you the best of both worlds.
The best part is that it was a full hybrid (listen to GM) with regenerative braking. The engine was a parallel hybrid that featured a 12-hp 4-cylinder gasoline engine as an auxiliary drive system in addition to the electric drivetrain. The electric motor could propel the car up to 20 mph. Along with the gasoline engine, the dual wood power could reach up to 35 mph.
The gasoline engine and the electric motor were connected by a magnetic clutch. The gasoline engine was magnetized when activated (via a driver-controlled lever). The copper disk was thrown against the flywheel that connected the electric motor to the gasoline engine.
The electric motor can only be used when going in reverse. Why? Because the engine had no clutch and therefore the gasoline engine had no gears!
The car battery designed for this car was about half the size of batteries in other electric cars of the time. Once the car reached 20 mph, the gasoline engine could be activated, allowing the electric motor and the gasoline engine to work together. The battery can be recharged or discharged with another lever. Recharging was done with the gasoline engine (at speeds above 6 mph) or by braking on level ground or when descending hills. A conventional brake pedal was only used at speeds of less than 6 mph.
Available for only $ 2650 (remember this was in 1917). The wire wheels were a luxury and cost an additional $ 25. Or you could ‘pimp’ your vehicle for another $ 100 (paint and trim).
In the end, the first hybrid was a commercial failure. It was built only in 1917 and 1918. It was too expensive, too slow, and too difficult to maintain to be a commercial success.