Justus B. Entz, former chief electrician of the Edison Machine Works, had a working gas-electric vehicle running by 1897, but he wasn't particularly interested in being a manufacturer. His genius was in electric generators and motors, and power transmissions. Once he got interested in cars, his goal became to improve the operation of the day's cumbersome, finicky transmissions, and he drew from his experience in developing new systems.

By 1902, Entz had his electric transmission operating, and in 1914 demonstrated an Entz automobile. It never went into production, but in 1915, as part of the Baker (Electric)/Rauch & Lang family of companies, the Owen Magnetic did. Simply, the flywheel, clutch and transmission were replaced by a motor and generator, forming a combination electromagnetic clutch and recharging generator. There was no direct connection between the engine and wheels; in place of the flywheel, the motor and its field coils rotated around a hollow propshaft. In a mechanical clutch, slip--friction--creates heat; but with no physical connection between engine and driveshaft, the only wear is to the brushes. Instead, the slip created an electric field, and that in turn induced current in the armature of the motor. Taking that current to the generator (in reality, the two units were identical motor-generators) made it turn and imparted torque to the driveshaft. Thus, controlling engine RPM controlled generator output. In addition, the Owen Magnetic had a sophisticated 24-volt battery system for starting, lighting and providing supplementary power. It could also be driven at low speed on battery alone, although the gas engine would turn.

Control was via a steering wheel rheostat with nine positions: charging, used as needed for low batteries, at idle; starting, which brought current from the batteries to the generator; neutral, which kept the generator circuit open; first, with the maximum difference between engine speed and car speed for maximum current and torque; second through fourth, at which point the generator was taking almost all the load; and high, where the circuit was nearly locked and the motor provided no torque to the drivetrain, but was in generator mode for charging.

So it all sounds great, right? Mechanically, it was, and Owen Magnetics found favor wherever people could afford them, as with government agencies and celebrities like Enrico Caruso. Riding in an Owen Magnetic was more like travel in a Diesel-electric locomotive or today's continuously variable transmissions, rather than a car. Engine RPM built to a set point and then leveled off, while the vehicle continued to accelerate as the relative intensity of the generator motor field changed. It's quiet, smooth and uncanny, with 60 MPH available. Engage neutral, and the clutch is cut out, but the motor remains connected and becomes an electric brake and charger. Hillholding up to 20 degrees was available without use of mechanical brakes, by use of the correct range in reverse.

But it was extremely expensive and heavy, the system adding about 600 pounds and thousands of dollars to the car. No Owen Magnetic ever cost under $3,000, and after Baker R & L divested itself of interest in the make in 1919, the company could only struggle along for a few more years before closing up in 1921, many decades ahead of its time.