Electric Cars and You

What are EVs?
What's the difference between a BEV and a hybrid?
Are EVs pretty much like my regular car?
What are the pros and cons of EVs?
How many choices of EVs are there?
Will the US produce 50% EVs by 2030, as President Biden has mandated?
Are EVs economical?
Are many EVs being sold?

These questions and many others are answered in detail in this report.

We read in comic books, as we grew up, of the future with personal jet packs to zoom around town. We heard of self-driving vehicles that could also fly and never needed gasoline. All of this sounds very much like George Jetson, but actually, a lot of it is now confirmed. There are personal jet packs; there are cars with various degrees of autonomy. We don't have cars that fly like magic carpets yet, but we do have electric cars that need no gasoline. So in many ways, what we read about in comic books (a dime from the swivel rack at the corner drug store) has come true – we live in that future.
This book is about one part of that future – electric cars in America, in all their flavors. Although electric cars are rather old, like many things, we think of them as new. Their origins go back to the beginnings of anything that could be called a 'car' in the 1800s. Now, one of the most reported technology/consumer goods item in America is the topic of electric vehicles (EVs.) Unfortunately, a great deal in the popular press is reported by people with little or no background in electric vehicles. Much of the writing is from reporters that are generalists and report on various topics as they come up. Also, a lot of the reporting comes from 'car guy' reporters, who are standard vehicle experts, but who are not familiar with the vocabulary or technology of electric vehicles. While I have been a car guy all my life, I also bring my electrical engineering (BS EE, PE) background and many years as a researcher to the report.
This book provides an unbiased but critical view of the subject. It spends a good bit of time understanding the components of an electric vehicle the terminology involved and includes a good look at the field's technologies. We will also develop complete economic models and compare the various alternatives on an economic basis.
After understanding the subject, the report will examine the pressures on this market, both pro and con. Unfortunately, as with much in our lives today, this subject has regrettably become politicized. We will acknowledge that politicization, but we will try not to let political opinions cloud our comments.
A common misconception about EVs is 'free transportation' (much like the misconception of 'free power' from windmills.) One section will present a series of economic models for EVs to shed light on the comparative costs. These models will try to understand the financial issues involved in owning EVs compared to ICE (internal combustion engine vehicles – our standard car.) In addition, the models will provide estimates of the penalty or benefit from owning an EV vs. owning an ICE.
The final section will describe how the book can assist Joe or Judy car buyer in deciding on the possible purchase of an electric vehicle.