Alternative Power: Lessons From the Past, Inspiration For the Future

Due to visitors’ overwhelmingly positive reception to the first exhibition, the Petersen Automotive Museum has opened a long-term display of Alternative Power Vehicles.

This exhibition continues to explore the history of automobile power using a wide array of vehicles equipped with innovative propulsion systems. On display are vehicles powered by steam, electricity, turbines, fuel cells, and other sources. From the highly styled 1963 Chrysler Turbine to the recently recalled—and now extremely rare—General Motors EV1, automobiles are presented that illustrate the growth of alternative vehicle technology. Together, these vehicles offer an interesting contrast to those being developed today, and may even inspire modern engineers in their pursuit of the next technological breakthrough.