(Special Correspondence, Manufacturers' Record.

)
December 29, 190
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'icola (esla's )ie$ of t!e *uture in Moti+e ,o$er.
'e$ -or%, December 2.
/n +ie$ of t!e 0reat interest $!ic! is bein0 ta%en in t!e articles publis!ed b1 t!e
Manufacturers' Record and some of t!e ma0a2ines on t!e de+elopment of ne$ po$er&
producers, t!rou0! t!e internal&combustion en0ine, for use for transportation purposes bot!
b1 land and sea, t!e follo$in0 si0ned statement, made b1 Mr. 'icola (esla after a discussion
of a ne$ t1pe of auto&bus desi0ned b1 Mr. C!arles 3. 4ieb, mec!anical en0ineer of t!e
Man!attan (ransit Co., $ill doubtless be read $it! muc! 0eneral interest"
'e$ -or%, December 1.
Mr. 3lbert ,!enis, Special Correspondent Manufacturers' Record, 'e$ -or%"
Dear Sir & Repl1in0 to 1our in5uir1 of 1esterda1, t!e application of electricit1 to t!e propulsion
of automobiles is certainl1 a rational idea. / am 0lad to %no$ t!at Mr. 4ieb !as underta%en to
put it into practice. 6is lon0 e7perience $it! t!e 8eneral 9lectric Co. and ot!er concerns
must !a+e e7cellentl1 fitted !im for t!e tas%.
(!ere is no doubt t!at a !i0!l1&successful mac!ine can be produced on t!ese lines. (!e field
is ine7!austible, and t!is ne$ t1pe of automobile, introducin0 electricit1 bet$een t!e prime
mo+er and t!e $!eels, !as, in m1 opinion, a 0reat future.
/ !a+e m1self for man1 1ears ad+ocated t!is principle. -our $ill find in numerous tec!nical
publications statements made b1 me to t!is effect. /n m1 article in t!e Centur1, :une, 1900, /
said, in dealin0 $it! t!e sub;ect" 'Steamers and trains are still bein0 propelled b1 t!e direct
application of steam po$er to s!afts or a7les. 3 muc! 0reater percenta0e of t!e !eat ener01
of t!e fuel could be transformed in moti+e ener01 b1 usin0, in place of t!e adopted marine
en0ines and locomoti+es, d1namos dri+en b1 speciall1 desi0ned !i0!&pressure steam or 0as
en0ines, b1 utili2in0 t!e electricit1 0enerated for t!e propulsion. 3 0ain of <0 to 100 percent,
in t!e effecti+e ener01 deri+ed from t!e fuel could be secured in t!is manner. /t is difficult to
understand $!1 a fact so plain and ob+ious is not recei+in0 more attention from en0ineers.
3t first 0lance it ma1 appear t!at to 0enerate electricit1 b1 an en0ine and t!en appl1 t!e
current to turn a $!eel, instead of turnin0 it b1 means of some mec!anical connection $it!
t!e en0ine, is a complicated and more or less $asteful process. =ut it is not so> on t!e
contrar1, t!e use of electricit1 in t!is manner secures 0reat practical ad+anta0es. /t is but a
5uestion of time $!en t!is idea $ill be e7tensi+el1 applied to rail$a1s and also to ocean
liners, t!ou0! in t!e latter case t!e conditions are not 5uite so fa+orable. 6o$ t!e railroad
companies can persist in usin0 t!e ordinar1 locomoti+e is a m1ster1. =1 pro+idin0 an en0ine
0eneratin0 electricit1 and operatin0 $it! t!e current motors under t!e cars a train can be
propelled $it! 0reater speed and more economicall1. /n *rance t!is !as alread1 been done
b1 6eilman, and alt!ou0! !is mac!iner1 $as not t!e best, t!e results !e obtained $ere
creditable and encoura0in0. / !a+e calculated t!at a notable 0ain in speed and econom1 can
also be secured in ocean liners, on $!ic! t!e impro+ement is particularl1 desirable for man1
reasons. /t is +er1 li%el1 t!at in t!e near future oil $ill be adopted as fuel, and t!at $ill ma%e
t!e ne$ met!od of propulsion all t!e more commendable. (!e electric manufacturin0
companies $ill scarcel1 be able to meet t!is ne$ demand for 0enerators and motors.
/n automobiles practicall1 not!in0 !as been done in t!is direction, and 1et it $ould seem t!e1
offer t!e 0reatest opportunities for application of t!is principle. (!e 5uestion, !o$e+er, is
$!ic! motor to emplo1 & t!e direct&current or m1 induction motor. (!e former !as certain
preferences as re0ards t!e startin0 and re0ulation, but t!e commutators and brus!es are +er1
ob;ectionable on an automobile. /n +ie$ of t!is / $ould ad+ocate t!e use of t!e induction
motor as an ideall1 simple mac!ine $!ic! can ne+er 0et out of order. (!e conditions are
e7cellent, inasmuc! as a +er1 lo$ fre5uenc1 is practicable and more t!an t!ree p!ases can
be used. (!e re0ulation s!ould offer little difficult1, and once an automobile on t!is no+el plan
is produced its ad+anta0es $ill be readil1 appreciated.
-ours +er1 trul1,
'. (esla.