De Rivaz, François Isaac
From The Encyclopedia of Earth
de Rivaz's Trial Vehicle
August 24, 2008, 2:00 pm
François Isaac de Rivaz (1752-1828), a Swiss engineer noted for his important contributions to the development of automobiles powered by internal combustion engines (1807). He is believed to be the first person to equip a stationary gas engine with an electric ignition. In 1813, de Rivaz fitted an engine of this type to a vehicle and conducted test runs in the area around Vevey, Switzerland, on Lake Geneva.
