François Isaac de Rivaz
Isaac de Rivaz | |
|---|---|
Isaac de Rivaz | |
| Born | December 19, 1752 |
| Died | July 30, 1828 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, engineer |
| Known for | The world's first automobile powered by an 'internal combustion engine' |
| Father | Pierre de Rivaz |
François Isaac de Rivaz (December 19, 1752, in Paris – July 30, 1828, in Sion) was a French-born Swiss inventor and a politician. He invented a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine with electric ignition and described it in a French patent published in 1807. In 1808 he fitted it into a primitive working vehicle – "the world's first internal combustion powered automobile".