Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels

Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 395
Release: 2013-04-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309268524

For a century, almost all light-duty vehicles (LDVs) have been powered by internal combustion engines operating on petroleum fuels. Energy security concerns about petroleum imports and the effect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on global climate are driving interest in alternatives. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels assesses the potential for reducing petroleum consumption and GHG emissions by 80 percent across the U.S. LDV fleet by 2050, relative to 2005. This report examines the current capability and estimated future performance and costs for each vehicle type and non-petroleum-based fuel technology as options that could significantly contribute to these goals. By analyzing scenarios that combine various fuel and vehicle pathways, the report also identifies barriers to implementation of these technologies and suggests policies to achieve the desired reductions. Several scenarios are promising, but strong, and effective policies such as research and development, subsidies, energy taxes, or regulations will be necessary to overcome barriers, such as cost and consumer choice.

Electric Vehicles and Other Alternatives to the Internal Combustion Engine

Electric Vehicles and Other Alternatives to the Internal Combustion Engine
Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce. Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution
Publisher:
Total Pages: 564
Release: 1967
Genre: Air
ISBN:

Considers S. 451, and related legislation, to authorize DOT and HEW to conduct studies of non-internal combustion powered vehicles and their applications in urban environments.

The Electric Vehicle

The Electric Vehicle
Author: Gijs Mom
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 440
Release: 2013-02-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1421409704

One hopes, as a new generation of electric vehicles becomes a reality, The Electric Vehicle offers a long-overdue reassessment of the place of this technology in the history of street transportation.

Assessment of Fuel Economy Technologies for Light-Duty Vehicles

Assessment of Fuel Economy Technologies for Light-Duty Vehicles
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 373
Release: 2011-06-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309216389

Various combinations of commercially available technologies could greatly reduce fuel consumption in passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles, minivans, and other light-duty vehicles without compromising vehicle performance or safety. Assessment of Technologies for Improving Light Duty Vehicle Fuel Economy estimates the potential fuel savings and costs to consumers of available technology combinations for three types of engines: spark-ignition gasoline, compression-ignition diesel, and hybrid. According to its estimates, adopting the full combination of improved technologies in medium and large cars and pickup trucks with spark-ignition engines could reduce fuel consumption by 29 percent at an additional cost of $2,200 to the consumer. Replacing spark-ignition engines with diesel engines and components would yield fuel savings of about 37 percent at an added cost of approximately $5,900 per vehicle, and replacing spark-ignition engines with hybrid engines and components would reduce fuel consumption by 43 percent at an increase of $6,000 per vehicle. The book focuses on fuel consumption-the amount of fuel consumed in a given driving distance-because energy savings are directly related to the amount of fuel used. In contrast, fuel economy measures how far a vehicle will travel with a gallon of fuel. Because fuel consumption data indicate money saved on fuel purchases and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, the book finds that vehicle stickers should provide consumers with fuel consumption data in addition to fuel economy information.

Forward Drive

Forward Drive
Author: Jim Motavalli
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2014-10-14
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1136534105

This comprehensive account of the past, present and future of the automobile examines the key trends, key technologies and key players involved in the race to develop clean, environmentally friendly vehicles that are affordable and that do not compromise on safety or design. Undertaking a rigorous interrogation of our global dependency on oil, the author demonstrates just how unwise and unnecessary this is in light of current developments such as the fuel cell revolution and the increasing viability of hybrid cars, which use both petrol and electricity - innovations that could signal a new era of clean, sustainable energy. The arguments put forward draw on support from an eclectic range of sources - including industry insiders, scientists, economists and environmentalists - to make for an enlightening read.

The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History

The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History
Author: David A. Kirsch
Publisher:
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2000
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN:

In the context of regulations requiring emission so low that electric and hybrid cars will be necessary, Kirsch (industrial ecology, U. of California-Los Angeles) takes the Electric Vehicle Company as a starting point for a vision of an alternative automotive system in which gasoline and electric vehicles would each have been used to supply different kinds of transport services. He argues that technological superiority was in the hearts and minds of engineers, consumers, and drivers. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR