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Porsche exhibits 1898 electric Egger-Lohner

[alert type = 'success'] 07 / 03 / 2014: The authenticity of this vehicle has been questioned by institutions
important. We are awaiting a response from Porsche in this regard [/ alert]

Porsche's are considered excellent sports cars. But the company's history dates back much earlier: in 1898, Ferdinand Porsche introduced the Egger-Lohner C.2 Phaeton electric car, the world's first Porsche design. After 116 years, the original unrestored vehicle has been recovered and brought in to enrich the collection of the Porsche Museum, a true technical and historical gem.

Five years have passed since, in January 2009, the Porsche Museum was opened, which with the incorporation of this design sees its permanent exhibition reoriented. Together with the restructuring of the scheme for the area dedicated to product history and competition, the Egger-Lohner now forms a centerpiece used to introduce visitors to the first part of the exhibition, the 'prologue'. The innovative concept of this vehicle bridges the gap between the past and current developments.

The Egger-Lohner It was one of the first Austrian-registered vehicles and appeared on the streets of Vienna in mid-1898. Ludwig Lohner had unsuccessfully searched for a gasoline engine for the carriages made by his father Jakob, so he opted for electric motors that promised better results. He commissioned the Béla Egger company (predecessor of Brown Boveri) to build the engine, which was installed in 1897 in the first Lohner vehicle. This first model was tested by a young Béla Egger employee, Ferdinand Porsche.

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Egger-Lohner engine: 130 kilos, 3CV and 35 Km / h (Images provided by Porsche)

Fascinated by everything to do with electricity, the young Porsche was able to fix all the initial problems with this car, but he also saw its flaws, as it opted for a rear wheel steering and front wheel drive. A year later, and with the great help of Porsche, the second model was presented, already with steering front wheels and driving rear wheels.

Porsche did a lot of work in the development of this vehicle and engraved the code 'P1' (corresponding to Porsche and number 1) on some of the main components, thus giving the vehicle its unofficial name.

The compact electrical module, which weighed only 130 kilos, offered a power of 3 CV, but withstood partial overloads without problems to reach 5 CV, which allowed it to reach 35 km / h. When driving in this way, the car's speed was regulated by 12 controllers. The total autonomy of this car could be extended up to 80 kilometers. Another innovation was the interchangeable body of the car, which allowed to have one for the summer and another for the winter.

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A range of 80 kilometers is not bad, even today

One of the best electrics of its time

The first practical test awaited the model in September 1899, on the occasion of the 1st International Motor Vehicle Exhibition held in Berlin. 19 electric vehicle manufacturers presented 34 different models, but only six manufacturers with eight models entered a race to test the performance of their electric vehicles over a distance of 40 kilometers.

The route required great skill on the part of the participants, who had to face steep slopes, a few kilometers at top speed and a consumption control. In addition, aesthetics and above all the practicality of use were valued.

With three passengers on board, Ferdinand Porsche drove his "P1" to the finish line and took an 18-minute lead over the next competitor. More than half of the participants did not reach the end due to technical problems. Porsche also took the lead in the efficiency test, as the Egger-Lohner had the lowest energy consumption in city traffic.

Still not happy with the performance, Ferdinand Porsche designed his great invention, the electric motors in the wheel hubs, and found in Lohner a person who was totally willing to help in the development of these types of electric vehicles.
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• We thank the portal Prestige Electric Car, specialized in electric and hybrid mobility, the transfer of this news.

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Written by Christian manz

I am V. Christian Manz, born in Hamburg, but living in Spain for a long time. I have been collecting photos, catalogs and other documents on the history of the automobile since childhood and, thanks to this, I now have a large archive. Years ago Classic Motor gave me the title of ... Read more

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