DAVID ISAACS
Foreword
Introduction
one: Electric cars under scrutiny facts & figures
The power of words
The main parts of an electric car
Electric car layouts
Efficiency of electric motors
Regenerative braking
Electric cars and cold weather
two: Electric cars & money
How much does it cost to run an electric car?
Little perks for going green
Even better if you're in business
Tax breaks in the US
Electric car insurance
three: Electric cars & the environment
Blackouts, prices, powerstations
Other green motoring options
Heat convertors
Driving a used car
Air cars
Fuel cells
Biofuels
four: Electric cars & safety
five: Topping up charging your electric car
six: Electric car conversions
seven: Electric car catalogue
eight: Electric car history
Real-life testing
nine: Electric car scepticism
ten: Pros and cons of electric cars
Cons
Pros
Pros and cons of electric cars: conclusions
eleven: Green home and green car
How much power can solar cells give me?
Feed-in tariffs
More future technologies
twelve: The genuine environmental issues
Mercury from coal plants
Paper
Untreated sewage and water pollution
Battery recycling
The icesheet retreat
Green tips for motorists and fans of Shanks' pony
Index
Features
All you really need to know about electric cars
A complete catalogue of the best electric cars available today and in the very near future
Highlights the practical aspects of owning a green vehicle
The pros and cons of an electric car
An unbiased look at global warming, and the most pressing environmental issues
An insight into the future of motoring, and how we can all be a part of it
An overview of hybrid, solar, and other alternative cars
Green tips for motorists
100 exciting photographs and diagrams
Description
What if we all had to say goodbye to petrol cars tomorrow? Would you be ready?
There might be several reasons why you're holding this book in your hand. Concern about the environment, determination to cut your fuel bill, or simply curiosity. Whatever the reason, the answer is within. This consumer guide is for housewives, petrol-heads, pedestrians, green activists, everyone but most importantly, it's for you. It will introduce the electric car to potential advocates and opponents, revealing all the pros and cons. Is such a vehicle really what it promises to be - the perfect answer to the fuel crisis and environmental issues? This book will help you find out.
Synopsis
Although the idea of an electric car is almost 180 years, old it is only now that we are learning to embrace the thought that our petrol cars won't last forever.
There might be several reasons why you're holding this book in your hand. Concern about the environment, determination to cut your fuel bill, or simply curiosity. Whatever the reason, the answer is within. This consumer guide is for housewives, petrol-heads, pedestrians, green activists, everyone but most importantly, it's for you. Unlike most previous publications and TV shows, it looks at various aspects of green motoring because when it comes to cars, there is no universal truth. What if we all had to say goodbye to petrol cars tomorrow? Our aim is to tell you about the pros and cons of electric motoring, so that you can confidently choose what your next car will look like. We will help you decide whether electric cars can make a difference to your purse and the environment.
With a concise catalogue covering the best production models and the most promising prototypes, this book is the definitive guide to the future of motoring.
