Most people would be surprised to learn that the inventor of the advanced hybrid technology used in the Toyota Prius and other hybrid vehicles is an American, Alex Severinsky.
He is an engineer and entrepreneur who emigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union and launched his inventions at the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland in College Park.
With the help of then Clark School Assistant Dean Herbert Rabin, Severinsky formed Power-Assisted Internal Combustion Engine (PAICE) company, to create a hybrid power train.
He made a physical prototype of his technology and, on October 14, 1999, demonstrated the PAICE system in Detroit. Severinsky proved that the system could effectively reduce the gas consumption of a Cadillac Coup de Ville by half in city driving while retaining its driving performance.
Engineers at U.S. and Japanese automakers were interested in Severinsky's invention, but top management resisted. A staff engineer at Toyota later developed the same idea as Severinsky for hybrids. When the Toyota Prius was introduced, Severinsky fought to protect his patent rights. After a protracted legal battle with Toyota, he won the civil case in 2005. (Additional litigation is in progress.)
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