Hybrid Inventor Victor Wouk, 1919-2005
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 06.12.05
Hug a tree in memory of Dr. Victor Wouk, who died last month. In 1971 Dr. Wouk received an EPA grant to develop a hybrid car, along with a promise to fund a larger project if it met spec. Dr. Wouk had decided years earlier that all-electric cars were impractical because of the size of the batteries and had been looking for alternatives. He replaced the V-8 in a Buick Skylark with a Mazda rotary engine, electric motors, batteries and regenerative brakes. It met the strictest emission standards, got 30 MPG and hit 85 MPH. For reasons never explained, the EPA declined to follow through and only one was built. When the Prius came out in the states in 2001, Dr. Wouk proudly got one of the first.
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Thanks for that bit of history. It is amazing how long it has taken for the concept to become commercially available.
Did the government policies in the U.S. favoring all-electric cars actually delay the introduction of hybrid vehicles? Sounds like it.
I came across this item while Googling my father’s name. How appropriate! His efforts on the hybrid gas-electric vehicle were driven by his strong commitment to the environment. And he was aware of the paradox that what he was working would extend the useful life of this most wasteful of transportation systems.
Among his other green actions, my father would reuse envolopes that came to him in the mail. He would put labels over the old address and add new postage. A couple of times I was him write a note the back explaining that he was not cheap, but rather, and these were his words, “I am a treehugger.” He would have been very please with this particular item.
Your father was an environmental hero, he was ahead of his time. If the EPA didn't squash his work we would all be driving a Hybrid vehicle in the 1970's. Toyota should of named their Hybrid the VWOUK after him. He was the "Father Of The Modern Hybrid Automobile"
i needed this ofr my class nd its so helpful to find what ur looking for in 1 page insted of looking all over !!!! lol well thnx
i needed this ofr my class nd its so helpful to find what ur looking for in 1 page insted of looking all over !!!! lol well thnx
I used this information for my english report! excellent information!!!
Wow... So there's nothing new under the sun. 30MPG and 85 mph is not that far from a Prius. My hat is off to this trailblazer genius.