Considerable work has gone into electric car and battery development in the last ten years, with the prospect of substantial improvements in range and performance in battery cars as well as in hybrids and those using fuel cells. This book covers the development of electric cars, from their early days, to new hybrid models in production. Most of the coverage is focused on the very latest technological issues faced by automotive engineers working on electric cars, as well as the key business factors vital for the successful transfer of electric cars into the mass market.

This contributed volume contains the results of the research program “Agreement for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles”, developed in the framework of the Energy Technology Network of the International Energy Agency. The topical focus lies on technology options for the system optimization of hybrid and electric vehicle components and drive train configurations which enhance the energy efficiency of the vehicle. The approach to the topic is genuinely interdisciplinary, covering insights from fields. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and industry experts in the field of automotive engineering, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

Plug-in electric vehicles are coming. Major automakers plan to commercialize their first models soon, while Israel and Denmark have ambitious plans to electrify large portions of their vehicle fleets. No technology has greater potential to end the United States' crippling dependence on oil, which leaves the nation vulnerable to price shocks, supply disruptions, environmental degradation, and national security threats including terrorism. What does the future hold for this critical technology, and what should the U.S. government do to promote it? Hybrid vehicles now number more than one million on America's roads, and they are in high demand from consumers. The next major technological step is the plug-in electric vehicle. It combines an internal combustion engine and electric motor, just as hybrids do. But unlike their precursors, PEVs can be recharged from standard electric outlets, meaning the vehicles would no longer be dependent on oil. Widespread growth in the use of PEVs would dramatically reduce oil dependence, cut driving costs and reduce pollution from vehicles. National security would be enhanced, as reduced oil dependence decreases the leverage and resources of petroleum exporters. Brookings fellow David Sandalow heads up an authoritative team of experts including former government officials, private-sector analysts, academic experts, and nongovernmental advocates. Together they explain the current landscape for PEVs: the technology, the economics, and the implications for national security and the environment. They examine how the national interest could be served by federal promotion and investment in PEVs. For example, can tax or procurement policy advance the cause of PEVs? Should the public sector contribute to greater research and development? Should the government insist on PEVs to replenish its huge fleet of official vehicles? Plug-in electric vehicles are coming. But how soon, in what numbers, and to what effect? Feder

A thoroughly revised third edition of this widely praised, bestselling textbook presents a comprehensive systems-level perspective of electric and hybrid vehicles with emphasis on technical aspects, mathematical relationships and basic design guidelines. The emerging technologies of electric vehicles require the dedication of current and future engineers, so the target audience for the book is the young professionals and students in engineering eager to learn about the area. The book is concise and clear, its mathematics are kept to a necessary minimum and it contains a well-balanced set of contents of the complex technology. Engineers of multiple disciplines can either get a broader overview or explore in depth a particular aspect of electric or hybrid vehicles. Additions in the third edition include simulation-based design analysis of electric and hybrid vehicles and their powertrain components, particularly that of traction inverters, electric machines and motor drives. The technology trends to incorporate wide bandgap power electronics and reduced rare-earth permanent magnet electric machines in the powertrain components have been highlighted. Charging stations are a critical component for the electric vehicle infrastructure, and hence, a chapter on vehicle interactions with the power grid has been added. Autonomous driving is another emerging technology, and a chapter is included describing the autonomous driving system architecture and the hardware and software needs for such systems. The platform has been set in this book for system-level simulations to develop models using various softwares used in academia and industry, such as MATLAB®/Simulink, PLECS, PSIM, Motor-CAD and Altair Flux. Examples and simulation results are provided in this edition using these software tools. The third edition is a timely revision and contribution to the field of electric vehicles that has reached recently notable markets in a more and more environmentally sensitive world.

This illustrated history chronicles electric and hybrid cars from the late 19th century to today's fuel cell and plug-in automobiles. It describes the politics, technology, marketing strategies, and environmental issues that have impacted electric and hybrid cars' research and development. The important marketing shift from a "woman's car" to "going green" is discussed. Milestone projects and technologies such as early batteries, hydrogen and bio-mass fuel cells, the upsurge of hybrid vehicles, and the various regulations and market forces that have shaped the industry are also covered.