Porsche presents old and new hybrids

Porsche has come full circle at the Los Angeles Show with its first ever hybrid vehicle from 1900 on display next to its latest Cayenne Hybrid Concept. However, Porsche says it will take a lot less than a 100 years before customers can buy a hybrid-powered Cayenne, with sales expected to begin in the USA before the end of 2009.

The Cayenne uses Porsche's Full-Parallel-Hybrid System, which works by mounting the electric motor in line with the V6 petrol engine's transmission. Porsche says this reduces power loss, cuts weight and is more compact than rivals' systems, such as the Lexus RX400h.

Porsche is aiming for a combined fuel economy of more than 30mpg for the Cayenne Hybrid, which will be notably better than the current 3.6-litre V6's 21.9mpg. The hybrid model will also significantly lower emissions from the current 3.6 V6 model's 310g/km, though Porsche has not given an exact figure.

Whatever emissions figure the Cayenne Hybrid records, it will have to go some to better the zero emissions of the Lohner-Porsche. This 1900 electric vehicle was first shown at the Paris World Fair in 1900 and is now a resident of the Technical Museum in Vienna, Austria. It inspired Ferdinand Porsche to build his first car by adding a petrol engine to the existing electric motors mounted in the wheel hubs, creating the world's first hybrid drive car.

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