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 enlarge | Author: Sherry Boschert
Publisher: New Society Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy Used: $5.97
You Save: $10.98 (65%)
New (38) Used (24) from $5.97
Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 84629
Media: Paperback
Pages: 231
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 0865715718
Dewey Decimal Number: 629.22930973
EAN: 9780865715714
ASIN: 0865715718
Publication Date: December 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 20
 MDI Air Car verse Plugin Hybrid - Which one is cheaper, better, and faster? January 4, 2008
Golden Lion (North Ogden, Ut United States)
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
Chelsea Sexton: "The EV1 caught the eye of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), a regulatory body searching for ways to meet the states Clean Air Act and clear its smoggy skies". Sep 1990, CARB mandated if companies wanted to do business in California, they had to produce a percentage of zero emission vehicles: 1998 - 2%, 2001 - 5%, and 2003 - 10%. "The Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate might as well have been a kiss of death for the EV1." Automotive News in 1998 figured GM spent $350 million for the EV1 development. People outside GM believe the company spent $600 million on its multi-year lobbying and public relations campaign to kill the ZEV Mandate. In late 2001, GM and Chrysler sued Calfornia to block the ZEV mandate. By 2005, of the 800 EV1 available for public lease, all but 78 were hauled off to Arizona and crushed. By 2003, ZEV Mandate "gave automakers the option of meeting requirements by making a handful of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles for demonstration purposes". "CARB went along with the hydrogen scenario, even though this technology would not be usable for decades, if ever." "In 2001, CARB had created a new category, alternative technology partial zero-emission vehicles, to give extra credit to hybrids and especially plug-in hybrids with a 20-mile all-electric range." In 2003, the range was reduced to 10 miles. CARB stated, "We believe that they are accelerating our progress toward our ultimate goal, which is zero-emission vehicles. We're particularly happy with how this AT-PZEV portion of our regulation has worked out." After AT-PZEZ, 2003, GM and other automakes officially canceled their electric-car programs.
The ZEV mandate ensured tought competition, a new kind of vehicle, and historical resistence to change. GM and other automakers went to work to meet California's ZEV Mandate. "Seven major car companies each signed an individual Memorandum of Agreement with CARB to produce a small number of electric vehicles by 200 as a demonstration of their viability, and to make ZEV's 10% of sales in 2003."
GM initiality built 660 lead-acide battery packs with a 70 to 90 mile range per charge In 1999 GM release the last 182 EV1s which used the Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery with a range of 140 miles. GM was in a financial slump and looked to cut costs. "It abandoned the EV1 and bought the hummer brand and started to ramp up it's marketing of the most wasteful car in history." The EV1 waiting list grew to 5,000 names. GM said it would restart production of the EV1, if there was enough customer demand. Other prototype versions of the EV1 were created but not marketed, including a plugin hybrid version.
The hybrid and electric car could lose out to the new "Air Car". The MDI Engine is more efficient, with a different configuration that allows pressure to build in the piston producing better torque. Four horizontal piston turn the camshaft. The vehicle runs on compressed air stored in a carbon fiber tank. The air can be compressed from home in a four hour recharge cycle or on the road using a gas powered compressor. 6000 ZEVs are scheduled to hit the streets of India in 2008. Tata has indicated that they will build the Air car. The air car solves the problem of energy storage, no batteries required. The air refuel stations run on electricity meaning no transportation of energy required. Recharging air reserves is off the electrical grid. The car will be light (simple and small engine less steel), so stronger nanotechnology materials will be required. The air energy usage is very efficient.
India and China will push the Air car technology into a feasible and desired market opportunity. The low cost will apply to the vast number of comuters that travel less than a 100 miles a day.
America could transform automobiles like they did computer technology creating a doubling of computational power every 18 months and doubling information every nine months which created more value for less money. IBM next generation of computer architecture could move computation towards artifical neocortex machines, another leap forward. Automobile value has been noncompetitive and for this reason the price remains high for the value. However, India and China competition will bring new levels of innovation and value to the market.
People want cheap fuel alternatives. The automotive company that provides increase comfort and power with a every decreasing fuel cost will penetrate the market and gain market share. The cell phone replaced the land line telephone; the Voip replace both; the iPhone combined music, media, and phone together in device function within a emerging network. The automobile will become an appliance, it is inevitable. The applicance could run on air or electricity. The market will follow the path of lest resistence. Air cars have less waste problems and disposal of the car include recycling the materials used in the car.
MiniCat: Compress Air recharge from an air-station will be 3 mins. The cost of the vehicle will range between $12,000 to $16,000; 800 miles with dual energy - air and gas.
CityCat: will sale for $13k running at speeds of 68 mph and maintaining a range of 125 miles. MDI says it will cost about $2 to fill the carbon-fiber tanks with 340 liters of air at 4350 psi.
City bus: MDI uses the CAT's Series 34 moto-compressors/moto-alternators which are safe and powerful; the compressed air be used to power the alternator and produce 10-20kW of electricity.
Hybrids Case:
LA 301: produced by Clean Air Transport, four seater, 57 hp electric motor, 18kwh of batteries, 650 cc internal combustion engine, and 7 gallon gasoline tank with a range of 150 miles.
In 2006, Tien Doung said, "We changed, a plug-in hybrid is the most viable technology."
DOE futurecar challenge proved that a ford Taurus could replace the 140 hp engine, 3,000-cc, 6-cylinder with a 3 cylinder, 660 cc motor combined with a 100 hp electric motor. The Taurus accelerated from 0-60 in 10 seconds and had 15% less moving parts. "To cruise at 80 miles per hour on highways only requires about 40 hp in an engine, most cars carry around 250-300 hp." The electric motor provides the performance and acceleration and the gasoline engine provides the steady-state load for the greatest efficiency.
The Volvo HEV98 combined an electric drivetrain with a three-cylinder piston engine. Ford buys Volve and the parallel hydrid drivetrain was applied in Ford's first hydrid SUV, the Escape hybrid.
"President Lyndon Johson slapped a 25% tax on all imported light trucks in 1964 to retail against Europe for restricting imports of frozen chickens from the United States. US automakers exploited that advantage and began advertising their trucks and utility vehicles to all drivers." "Congress exempted light trucks from the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act that set fuel economy standards." "The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 allowed light trucks to emit tow to five times as much pollutants compared with cars." By 1998, 47% of the vehicles sold in the US were SUVs and light trucks. "Truck sales accounted for $4 billion of Ford's record $6.5 billion in profits in 1997".
In 2000, Andrew Frank converted a Chevrolet Suburban to a plug-in hybrid increasing mileage from 15 mpg to 29 mpg. The suburban hybrid included a DC brushless electric motor on the front wheels making it four wheel drive, a 1.9 Liter gasoline engine, and the ability to run on electricity for 60 miles tapping 29kwh NiMH battery pack before relying on gasoline. The hybrid suburban had less emission than an Honda Insight on trips of 87 miles or less. Frank also converted a 330 hp Ford Explorer using a 1.9 liter Saturn engine, 75 kwh electric motor, and weighted with batteries 4,500 pounds and remove tailgate and seats yielding the same weight as the original.
Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) converted a 1998 Prius putting in 5 kwh Ovonic NiMH batteries, 20 AH, tripling the power and energy with a 20% increase in weight. The prius could travel 20 miles on electric only and 70-80 miles per gallon of gasoline.
AC Propulsion built a plug-in hybrid Jetta that had an all electric range of 30 miles and improved efficiency, 27 mpg city, and 34 mpg highway with a 560 miles per tank range.
"Calcar and EnergyCS estimate that plug-in hybrid would sell for $3,000 more than a hybrid or $5000 more than a non hybrid car if mass-produced by a major automaker."
 Interesting mix December 30, 2007
J. Dykstra (Roswell, NM)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a passionately writtten book by a true believer. It's also one of the first books of its type in what will probably be a fairly well-populated category eventually. If you have seen the movie Who Killed the Electric Car and read Joseph Romm's book The Hype About Hydrogen, then you pretty much know the basic arguments presented in this book. The book is sort of an interesting mix of stories, introductions to hybrid and EV advocates and tidbits of information about these types of cars and their recent history. The biggest impression that the average reader should come away with is the idea that the American public has not been given the chance to have the types of transportation options that might be adventageous for us due to a long history of manipulation and obstruction by auto and oil companies. I think a lot of people would really find plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles enjoyable to own and drive if they were given the chance. Hopefully the climate of opinion will change quickly enough for these types of vehicles to enter the market and make a real difference before it's too late. There are some positive signs. Finally, I'm sure most readers have a pretty good idea why these types of vehicles are a good idea, but if anyone doesn't, this book outlines a number of good reasons.
What's been happening with electric/hybrid autos the last 10 years. September 12, 2007
R. J. McCabe
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
I've often wondered what been happening with electric/hybrid car development since the mid 90's and GM's EV-1. Remarkably little is written on this subject.
This book reveals the truth about what's possible, and how little the car manufacturers are doing to make them a reality. Even Toyota's Prius is a small step compared to what they could be making NOW.
A rare combination of facts and intrigue that will recharge the reader September 1, 2007
Richard A. Steeves (Madison, WI USA)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
Sherry Boschert brings her science-writing skills to bear on the thorny problem of efficient transportation on the highways. While informing us about the details of hybrid vehicle technology, she also manages to weave in the gremlins that have interfered with improving car efficiency for many years. Her portrayal of the problem of hydrogen hype is well documented and clearly explained in Chapter 3. I recommend this book highly to the environmentally concerned driver as one of the best books in the field, because it gives the reader the inside story with scientific balance.
Timely and engaging but unconvincing August 5, 2007
Craig Bolon (Massachusetts, United States)
8 out of 16 found this review helpful
In "Plug-in Hybrids" (New Society, 2006), Sherry Boschert writes about recent electric vehicles, charged from commercial power lines, with gasoline engine backup. See also Michael Schiffer, "Taking Charge" (Smithsonian Books, 1994), on the early history of electric vehicles, about 1880 to 1930.
Main merits of Boschert's book: wide-ranging account of many starts and slips from about 1990 to the present; engaging style, focused on charismatic individuals; deconstruction of hydrogen-powered transportation myths.
Main defects of Boschert's book: inability to relate vehicle speed to operating range performance, cavalier approach to environmental and conservation issues, lack of concern about long-range marketing appeal.
Boschert says plug-in hybrid vehicles can reduce petroleum use and air pollution but does not prove the case. In order to do both, widespread use of plug-in hybrids must somehow avoid stimulating new coal-fired, oil-fired and gas-fired power plants. Boschert shows no way to assure that such an outcome would actually occur.
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