Hybrid Engine Inventor to be Recognized

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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BigShow50 - 10/27/2008 12:45:58 PM

0 Boost

Lmao...after all this the "inventor" and his wife continue to buy and enjoy their Hybrid Toyotas...now that's class all on it's own!!! ;-)

daytonaviolet - 10/27/2008 1:16:32 PM

+1 Boost

Smart guy! I hope his new venture Fuelcor works out, that would really change the market.

Bored - 10/27/2008 5:04:07 PM

+1 Boost

"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."

A GM Caddy? A CADDY!? And we wonder why the Detroit 3 is on life support. Any one of those companies could have had the leg up on the entire industry if their pea brain execs had only realized what they had. The trolls on this site have more sense! It's sad that Toyota stole it from Severinsky instead of going through the proper channels. Even if he wins all of his legal battles, he will only be rewarded an amount that is a small fraction of what he truly deserves.

WorldofLuxury - 10/27/2008 8:46:47 PM

+2 Boost

Yep...the Big 3 is just a group of nostalgic idiots regretting everything everyday and so on.

Despite GM's recent turn around, it seems to me that they have just gone back to being stupid. The Domestics just never see the reason to over achieve despite when there aren't any competitions or when times are good.

uall - 10/28/2008 6:01:28 AM

0 Boost

Jep...exactly...the hybrid system was developed by the germans. But like many other famous products: Invented in Germany, made to cash in other countries. It is a well known problem in Germany. Germans are known to be cautions, and decisions really need some time.