Albert de Dion started a company in France with partner Georges Bouton to build steam engined vehicles. Later they switched to gasoline burning vehicles, including a tricycle. They obtained a patent on a single cylinger gasoline engine in 1890 and started production in 1895. The engine was fitted to a tricycle. It included the .75 hp engine, a carbuerettor, high voltage ignition with a spark plug and a timing cam. The tricycle came in fourth racing against four wheeled vehicles in a race from Paris to Marseille and back, using Michelin tires. In 1899 the de Dion-Bouton tricycle won an uphill race in Austria and gained much fame and popularity.
De Dion-Bouton made cars and tricycles, and later motorcycles, and sold engines to other companies.
It’s great that more people are focusing on making better environmental choices. Plus technology is making it more economical now, and that’s what people really notice. Wind energy, solar power, hybrids and zap EV’s, our choices are good. There are now electric cars being sold everyday, you just plug it into a regular power outlet. When people test drive them they say it’s far more fun to drive an EV.
Posted by: Web | March 24, 2008 at 05:29 PM