Tilling-Stevens

A petrol engine was connected to an electrical generator and the current produced passed to a traction motor which drove the rear wheels.

An arrangement was agreed with a large bus operator, Thomas Tilling, who wanted to produce their own vehicles named Tilling-Stevens.

The ease of driving and soundness of construction of these vehicles soon led to the company supplying chassis to many bus operators in the UK, and several abroad as well.

Tilling-Stevens Motors Ltd was obliged to consolidate its position with bus operators during World War I because the Army considered their petrol-electric chassis were not suitable for use in France.

[10] The result was an adapted version of the hybrid TS6 model with electrical components by BTH of Bath, Somerset, and body by Christopher Dodson.

[10] Further orders followed from Halifax Corporation[10] and in 1924 the general manager of the Teesside Railless Traction Board designed a trolleybus chassis which was built by Tilling-Stevens.

[10] The company subsequently purchased the rights to the Teesside design after receiving enquiries from abroad but domestic production ceased after 1927.

[10] Tilling-Stevens also produced goods chassis available with either petrol-electric or conventional gearbox transmissions and built many trucks during World War I.

[12] The plant continued to produce light commercial engines (particularly the iconic Commer TS3 two-stroke diesel, which had been intended for introduction by Tilling-Stevens in 1954[12]) and vehicle bodies, before finally closing in the 1970s, some years after the group had been acquired by Chrysler.

[9] The Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric bus is interesting as an early example of a petrol engined road vehicle using electric rather than mechanical transmission.

However hybrid petrol-electric cars, such as the Toyota Prius, are now seen as being a partial solution towards cutting carbon dioxide emissions and reducing the risks of damaging global warming.

With the electrical generator (a large dynamo) for the motor permanently connected to the petrol engine, the early petrol electric controls available were a sprung return throttle pedal (with a hand-operated variable latching throttle to set and adjust the idle speed), a brake pedal, a means of steering (wheel, etc.)

It was very important to set the minimum possible idle speed, or when engaging the direction switch excess load on the system and possible unwanted movement will occur.

Giving more throttle and gradually altering the resistance lever will then produce higher speed, with none of the jerking and pauses in acceleration of a gearbox.