Is anyone else squirming from the irony?
http://www.supercars.net/cars/1901@$Lohner-Porsche@$Phaetonx.html
Ferdinand Porsche landed his first techincal job working for Jacob Lohner in 1900. Thier first car, the System Lohner-Porsche, used wheel mounted electric motors. Later cars used Daimler derived motors to power the electric engines. These systems were very elegant solutions as they did not use drive shafts, transmissions gears, chains, or clutches................Around 300 Lohner-Porsche's were completed until the patents were sold to Emil Jellinek of Mercedes.
The Tiger II - Electric Transmission:
http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/history2.htm
The nature of the suspension may be seen in the diagram. The transmission was altogether more complicated. It comprised a pair of Porsche Type 101/1 engines of V10 configuration, each rated at 320hp. These engines each drove an independent generator which, in turn supplied current to an electric motor. The electric motors, in their turn, produced power to drive the tank and steering was achieved by varying the speed of each motor through a rheostat........................................In theory the concept of petrol, or diesel/electric transmission is ideal, since it gives infinitely variable speed options for each track, without the need to change gear, but it also comes with a severe weight penalty.