Petrol–electric transmission

Examples of road vehicles using petrol–electric transmission include the Tilling-Stevens bus (UK) and the Owen Magnetic touring car (USA).

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  Tilling-Stevens petrol–electric bus
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  Owen Magnetic touring car 1920 advertisement
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  St. Chamond tank

Examples of petrol–electric rail vehicles include the North Eastern Railway 1903 Petrol Electric Autocar, Doodlebug (rail car), GE 57-ton gas-electric boxcab,[1] Weitzer railmotor and the petrol–electric locomotives built for the War Department Light Railways by Dick, Kerr & Co. and British Westinghouse.[2] In France, the Crochat-Colardeau system of Henry Crochat and Emmanuel Colardeau was used in some petrol–electric railcars.

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  North Eastern Railway Autocar at Filey Station
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  Gas–electric "Doodlebug" railcar
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  Dick, Kerr & Co. petrol electric locomotive under construction
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  Crochat petrol electric railcar preserved at Pithiviers
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  Weitzer railmotor produced for ACsEV

Most submarines that served in World War I were diesel–electric. However, some petrol–electric submarines had been built before the war. Examples include: Plunger-class submarine (USA),[3] A-class submarine (1903) (UK),[4] SM U-1 (Austria-Hungary), Russian submarine Krab (1912).

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  USS Plunger S2-1
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  Russian submarine Krab

Petrol–electric systems were tested on the British Mark II tank, American Holt gas electric tank and French Saint Chamont in 1917. The latter used the Crochat-Colardeau system of Henry Crochat and Emmanuel Colardeau. This allowed the left and right traction motors to run at different speeds for steering and is detailed in patent US1416611.[5] The 1936 prototype Char G1P was also designed with a petrol–electric drive.[6]

Ferdinand Porsche was the main developer of these drive trains for military vehicles in Nazi Germany. He created the VK 3001 (P) prototype and VK 4501, of which 91 units were produced as the Porsche Tiger.[7] They were later converted into Ferdinand, and subsequently Elefant, tank destroyers.[8] Another noteworthy design was the 188-tonne Porsche type 205 prototypes, commonly known as the Maus super-heavy tank.