Henney Kilowatt
| Henney Kilowatt | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Henney Motor Company |
| Production | 1959-1960 |
| Assembly | United States |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Supermini |
| Layout | Rear engine, Rear-wheel drive |
| Related | Renault Dauphine |
| Powertrain | |
| Electric motor | 5.2 kW (7.0 hp) |
| Transmission | 3-speed Automatic |
| Range |
36V 1959 64 km (40 miles) 72V 1960 97–105 km (60–65 miles) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,261 mm (89.0 in) |
| Length | 3,937 mm (155.0 in) |
| Width | 1,668 mm (65.7 in) |
| Height | 1,448 mm (57.0 in) |
| Curb weight |
36V 1959 907 kg (2,000 lb) 72V 1960 968 kg (2,135 lb) |
The Henney Kilowatt was an electric car introduced in the United States for the 1959 model year. The car used some body parts as made for the Renault Dauphine. An improved model was introduced in 1960 with a top speed of 60 miles an hour and a range of 60 miles. Only 47 cars were sold over the two model years, mostly to electrical utility companies. Only a few still exist.
The Henney Kilowatt was a project of National Union Electric Company, a conglomerate including Emerson Radio, and Henney Motor Company, which had purchased Eureka Williams in 1953. The project was initiated by C. Russell Feldmann, president of National Union Electric Company and the Eureka Williams Company. To build the electric cars, he employed the services of the Henney Motor Company coachwork division of Canastota, New York. Henney had been building custom coaches since 1868 and was a well-recognized name in the automotive industry because of its affiliation with the Packard Automobile Company and the Ford Motor Company. Henney produced thousands of custom built limousines, ambulances, and hearses (most of them built on Packard or Lincoln chassis), before being contracted to begin the Kilowatt project. National Union Electric Company was also the producer of Exide Batteries—and naturally had a vested interest in shifting American automotive focus from fossil fuels to lead-cell batteries. Morrison McMullan, Jr., controller of Exide Batteries, was also a participant in the development of the Kilowatt. (In 1974, National Union Electric was purchased by AB Electrolux of Sweden .)
The propulsion system was developed in consultation with Victor Wouk, then an electrical engineer at Caltech. Wouk is best known as one of the pioneers of hybrid electric cars. Wouk recruited Lee DuBridge, then President of Caltech, and Linus Pauling to assist in the assessment and development of the electronics. Although Pauling never did any active work on the project, DuBridge convened a group of Caltech experts to provide input. Wouk designed the necessary speed controller for the Kilowatt, although the controller was manufactured for the Kilowatts by Curtis Instruments. The electric propulsion system for the cars was designed and built by the Eureka Williams Company of Bloomington, Illinois, manufacturer of Eureka Vacuum Cleaners. Henney Coachworks was contracted to build the chassis of the car from tooling and parts purchased from Renault. Many body panels and interior components of the car are virtually identical to those of the Renault Dauphine.
...
Wikipedia