'The second century of electric and hybrid vehicles'

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'The second century of electric and hybrid vehicles'

Wouk, V.

During the second century of electric and hybrid vehicles, these may again become a large percentage of the automobile population, due to the projected depletion of fossil petroleum. Other proposed energy sources for propulsion are yet to be proven economical or adequate. Electricity is cheap and abundant. Three electrical technologies represent challenges to make an EV acceptable; better batteries, lower cost power semiconductors, and microprocessors for logic control. A network of electrical outlets for charging batteries of EVs when the vehicles are not in use will hasten the acceptability of EVs. Until the 'better battery' is developed, the hybrid car can provide the 'performance' and reduce petroleum dependence. The hybrid vehicle overcomes the objections to the all-electric, with regard to range and performance. The HV is therefore the ideal transitional vehicle until batteries, theoretically feasible, are developed that will propel a car 450 km on a charge.