The World's First Hybrid Car Was Built in 1899

The Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid was the first hybrid gas/electrical car developed back in 1899 by Ferdinand Porsche. It used wheel hub motors mounted inside each wheel, and was powered via electricity from a batteries and a small generator. It came long before the Volt and Prius, and was used as a template for those cars and many others that followed. 

The car was four wheel drive, had a top speed of 37MPH, and it needed a 1.8ton 44 cell 80 volt lead battery. It cost 15,000 Austrian Crowns to build. The buyer liked it so much he bought another two wheel drive version. This second car was different from the first, it had a form battery but wasn't externally charged. You can find out more about it here.