Showing posts with label electric cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label electric cars. Show all posts

All About Electric and Hybrid Cars and Who's Driving Them (Tell Your Parents) (Robbie Readers) Review

All About Electric and Hybrid Cars and Who's Driving Them (Tell Your Parents) (Robbie Readers)
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Environmentally friendly cars have been around much longer than you'd think. For example, the first electric cars were introduced in the 1830s. The advantages of a gasoline-powered vehicle were weighed against the electric and in the end the gasoline powered vehicles won out. In the 1960s people began to notice the polluting effects cars had on the atmosphere began to notice that in "placed like Los Angeles, the sky was often hazy and brown with smog." Lung cancer, respiratory problems and global warming were on the horizon. It was definitely time to rethink the fact that we were using nonrenewable resources and hurting our planet and endangering our health.
Famous people like Cameron Diaz, Al Gore and Brad Pitt are trying to set an example by driving hybrid cars. Even making one simple green change is "one way a person can reduce his or her carbon footprint." Motor vehicles contribute a whopping "72 percent of all ozone." With more than 250 million vehicles in the United States alone, we are looking at a serious problem, to say nothing of pollution emitted by oil refineries. In this book you'll learn about the history of hybrid cars, how they work, you'll get to take a look at several examples of these vehicles, and you'll learn how you can help. Did you know that the Lohner-Porsche company, now Porsche, built the first hybrid car in 1899? Amazing!
This is a very thoroughly researched and well-written book about hybrid and electric cars that will fascinate the young car enthusiast. The book is up-to-date and even includes little facts such as the price of gasoline in Europe topped $10 a gallon in 2009. The layout is nice with numerous full colored photographs, informative sidebars and reproductions of interesting ephemera. In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, an air pollution experiment, an excellent historical timeline and additional recommended book and Internet resources.

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What s the big deal about hybrid cars? Why are there so many celebrities driving them? Are these cars really better than gasoline powered cars? You can learn how hybrid cars work and explore new inventions in the automotive industry. Discover vehicles powered by hydrogen and cars that run on sunshine. Learn how to reduce your own carbon footprint and help your family save gasoline. It s all possible when you explore the world of hybrid cars.

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Hybrid Vehicles: and the Future of Personal Transportation Review

Hybrid Vehicles: and the Future of Personal Transportation
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I am a mechanical engineer working on a development project and purchased this newly-released book based on the contents description and author's credentials ("Distinguished professor and SAE Fellow").
I am extremely disappointed with the content of this book. From literally the inside of the front jacket it is full of technical errors and incomprehensible charts. Sentence fragments are pervasive and the writing in general is imprecise and often overly casual. Occasionally the author tosses in seemingly random thoughts that serve to distract the reader. (What does pickup truck tailgate position have to do with hybrid vehicles? Nothing.)
If you overlook the incorrect unit conversions on the jacket (degrees Kelvin??) and flip past the literally 23 page Contents (??!) you come to the Preface, where you will find some clues to what went wrong. The author restates the purpose of the book about four times; "for buyers or would-be buyers of hybrids...", "intended for potential hybrid customers", "information for the educated citizen", "for the engineer...a starting point for additional research". I think I disagree with all of these. As a 460+ page book full of equations this is clearly not a buyer's guide. Unfortunately, no engineer can make use of the contents because it is so full of errors and inconsistencies that any seemingly useful nuggets of information must be researched from scratch to determine their validity. What responsible author cites Wikipedia as the source for a graph used to illustrate a key technical concept? (Figure 7.1)
It is perfectly acceptable to publish a technical book that is not written for engineers. It is another thing entirely to release a book that is full of charts, graphs, equations, and statistics that imply a level of technical accuracy that does not stand up under scrutiny.
My overwhelming impression is that the book was rushed to the printer without adequate proofreading and technical editing. Perhaps the publisher gave in to the pressure to cash in on the fuel economy craze that hit in late 2008, and what could have been a useful and comprehensive technical overview turned into a typed collection of notes. It is indeed a shame, since the basic research and technical understanding was clearly there. The author and/or publisher simply did not have the discipline to properly finish the job. I fear for our collective future as an innovative society if we begin to accept work like this.
I believe there is a place in the market for an interesting and accessible technical overview of hybrid vehicle technologies. This is not that book.


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Uncover the Technology behind Hybrids and Make an Intelligent Decision When Purchasing Your Next Vehicle With one billion cars expected to be on the roads of the world in the near future, the potential for war over oil and the negative environmental effects of emissions will be greater than ever before. Now is the time to seriously consider an alternative to standard automobiles. Exploring practical solutions to these problems, Hybrid Vehicles and the Future of Personal Transportation provides broad coverage of the technologies involved in manufacturing and operating hybrids. It reviews key components of hybrid and pure electric vehicles, including batteries, fuel cells, and ultracapacitors. The book also discusses both concept and production-bound hybrids as well as the economics and safety issues of hybrid ownership. In addition, the author supplies effective tips on how to save gasoline with conventional and hybrid automobiles. Making the jargon of fuel-efficient vehicles accessible to a wide audience, this guide explains the history of hybrids, how they work, and their impact on the environment. It will help you make a sound decision concerning the purchase and operation of a hybrid or electric vehicle.

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Two Cents per Mile: Will President Obama Make it Happen WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN? Review

Two Cents per Mile: Will President Obama Make it Happen WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN
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This book is a must read for anyone concerned about transportation, the environment and public policy. The book goes far deeper than the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car in explaining what the author calls "the open door conspiracy" going on between Big Oil, Big Automotive and the U.S. Department of Energy. From the eyes of an engineer but written in plain English, the book shows how instead of moving toward all electric vehicles, we are being held back by corporations who want to preserve the internal combustion engine and their precious liquid fuels. There are pictures showing working electric cars still on the road today. We are being duped into paying far too much for running our cars and it's happening right in front of us. The book includes links to sites with form letters that can be customized and sent to local, state and federal representatives. I recommend everyone to get this book and take action now so we can really pay 2 cents a mile and end the burden of importing energy. I already mailed my letters!

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The Collapse of Common Sense: Preservation of Big Oil and the Big Three Automakers. In 2003 "FreedomCAR" (Freedom Cooperative Automotive Research) was created as a public-private partnership between the United States Department of Energy, BP America, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Shell Hydrogen, and The United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR - a partnership among Daimler/Chrysler, Ford Motor Company and General Motors). What are the oil and automotive corporations doing together? What happened to Toyota's RAV4-EV program that produced 100% electric sports utility vehicles (that's right, SUV's!) that are still running, today, at a cost of two cents per mile? Engineer Nevres Cefo shows how Americans are being systematically misinformed and trapped with only one choice for their future transportation needs: the internal combustion engine and liquid fuels. Can we change the course of where we are going and how we get there? Yes we can, and Cefo shows you how to do it.

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Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle (Tab Green Guru Guides) Review

Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle (Tab Green Guru Guides)
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This book should have been titled "Electric Components and their History". Over 300 pages and most is about the components and their inner workings. Like what is inside a battery. Most of the batteries and motors are not even what you would use for a Motorcycle. The last chapter titled "The Build" is just a few more pictures from the first chapter. If you want to know about electric components this is the book for you. If you want to build an Electric Motorcycle forget it this is anything but that book. Very disappointing I expected to build a motorcycle not study history, most of which was outdated. Even reporting on the EV1 being distroyed, how long ago was that? This is a reprint not an update.

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A step-by-step guide to building an electric motorcycle from the ground up
Written by alternative fuel expert Carl Vogel, this hands-on guide gives you the latest technical information and easy-to-follow instructions for building a two-wheeled electric vehicle--from a streamlined scooter to a full-sized motorcycle.
Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle puts you in hog heaven when it comes to hitting the road on a reliable, economical, and environmentally friendly bike. Inside, you'll find complete details on every component, including motor, batteries, and frame. The book covers electric motorcycles currently on themarket and explains how to convert an existing vehicle. Pictures, diagrams, charts, and graphs illustrate each step along the way. Whether you want to get around town on a sleek ride or cruise the super slab on a tricked-out chopper, this is the book for you.
Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle covers:

Energy savings and environmental benefits

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Build Your Own Electric Vehicle Review

Build Your Own Electric Vehicle
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This 310 page book is more than its title implies. It is an excellent source of information, even if one is justinterested in learning more about the subject of electric vehicles. Mr Brant's credentials include a degree in engineering, and having worked on the Lunar Rover.He begins his book by exploring the appropriateness of the electric vehicle from an environmental standpoint. He then quickly reviews the history of the EV, from the mid 1800's to the present. He does a good job of surveying the current (as of late 1993) crop of electic vehicle producers, as well as the plans of the major auto makers for electrics.Brant devots a chapter to the options available to the person who wants to own an electric vehicle today: Buy a ready to run car from a manufacturer or converter, have one built or converted for you, or do the conversion yourself. One option that he seems to largely discount is the option of buying a used EV. Although such vehicles can be somewhat hard to find, especially away from large cities on the coasts, they can put a person into an EV for much less money and work than any other alternative.As you might expect from the book's title Brant favors the self-conversion option. He compares the various types of motor vehicles as conversion options; passenger cars, vans, and small pickup trucks. His conclusion, that a small pickup truck might be the easiest to convert, while giving the best range, seems a valid one, as long as a small pickup meets your needs, and suits your style.Chapter 5 is an excellent reference listing suppliers, EV clubs, and various converters and manufacturers.With Chapter 6 Brant begins the real meat of the book. He presents formulae and charts that allow you predict the performance of the vehicle you choose for conversion, and pick the size of motor and batteries that you will need.The next chapters are devoted to each of the unique systems of an EV in some detail: Electric motors, controllers, batteries, and chargers. To this reviewer, these chapters are the most valuable, and make this book useful to anyone with an interest in Electric Vehicles. The current state of the art is reviewed for each of these systems in some detail and with an eye toward practical maintanence and selection, and upcoming technology is also covered.Surprisingly, only one chapter of the book covers the actual conversion process. Although there is probably enough detail here for the experienced home mechanic or mechanically inclined individual, someone who has never pulled an engine out of a car, or done other major repairs on his own, will probably need more help; especially if his conversion is not of a small pickup truck.All-in-all there is a lot of good information in this book, and it is a vital addition to the library of any would-be electric vehicle converter, owner or pipe dreamer..

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Go Green-Go Electric!Faster, Cheaper, More Reliable While Saving Energy and the Environment
"Empowering people with the tools to convert their own vehicles provides an immediate path away from petroleum dependence and should be part of the solutions portfolio." – Chelsea Sexton, Co-founder, Plug In America and featured in Who Killed the Electric Car?
"Create a superior driving experience, strengthen America, and restore the planet's ecosystems…that's the promise of this book and it's well worth a read!" – Josh Dorfman, Founder & CEO – Vivavi, Modern Green Furniture Store; Author, The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living.
This new, updated edition of Build Your Own Electric Vehicle contains everything that made the first edition so popular while adding all the technological advances and new parts that are readily available on the market today.
Build Your Own Electric Vehicle gets on the expressway to a green, ecologically sound, cost-effective way that even can look cool, too!
This comprehensive how-to goes through the process of transforming an internal combustion engine vehicle to electric or even building an EV from scratch for as much or even cheaper than purchasing a traditional car.The book describes each component in detail---motor, battery, controller, charger, and chassis---and provides step-by-step instructions on how to put them all together.
Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, Second Edition, covers:
EV vs. Combustible Engine Overview
Environmental and Energy Savings
EV Evolution since the First Electric Car
Current Purchase and Conversion Costs
Chassis and Design
Today's Best Motors
Battery Discharging/Charging Styles
Electrical Systems
Licensing and Insurance Issues
Driving
Maintenance
Related Clubs and Associations
Additional Resources


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