The Galt Gas Electric

There was an interesting profile of the Galt Gas Electric car in the Globe and Mail automotive section today. As one of the first 'hybrid' cars -- powered by both an electric motor and a small internal combustion engine -- it was built in 1914, a time when gasoline automobiles were still competing with electric and steam powered cousins. Only one Galt was ever built (it was named for its hometown, now known as Cambridge, Ontario), but the article repeats the claims that it could run at 4L per 100km, an astounding figure, even today. The company owners were unable to interest any investors, but the fact that it was driven to Chicago and New York suggests it was a successful design. The original and only Galt was given a new body in the 1940s, and it now rests in the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa, Ontario.