Electrical Vehicles

The electric vehicle is an established technology, performing the tasks asked of it in predictable ways and at predictable costs. But could expanded use of the electric vehicle have an impact in other areas of concern - on the environment, noise pollution, oil dependency, sustainability and so on? To do so in a noticeable way, the electric vehicle would have to become a significant part of the transportation system. The goal of this work is to address that issue. Whether or not the electric vehicle has technical properties that do respond effectively to these concerns is not central. Rather, the focus of this volume is the mechanisms whereby the electric vehicle could become a significant part of the transportation system, and the prospects of this happening. The chapters in this book address the question from a variety of perspectives.