A serendipitous find that changed my perspective on energy policy. I was looking for a how-to book and ordered this one "by mistake." I was somewhat skeptical, but the author held my attention through the entire book. By the time I completed the last page I was convinced that my attraction to plug-in hybrids was correct and my world view had changed considerably.

The title should read :- "Plug-in Hybrids; the Cars that will Transport the World". Sherry Boschert has done a wonderful job in drawing all the pieces together. It is a "must read" for those who have an interest in our transport future. I sincerely hope that by the year 2012, it will be completely implemented. However, I feel that the automobile industry and the oil companies will both fight very strongly, against the adoption of PHEV's. Also, the Governments of the world, will not be sufficiently forceful, to demand, that the automobile manufacturers produce quality PHEV's. They are our only answer, to vehicle pollution of our planet.

This book gives an unbiased view of what our options are as Americans on reducing and virtually eliminating our dependence on foreign oil. It also gives the pros and cons of alternative fuel sources as well as the great advantage of plug in hybrids over hybrids currently being sold.

I like this printer cartridge, I think it actually prints better than the original. I was not sure it was going to fit, it looked different from the original cartridge. When I inserted it it locked right into place.
Definitely would recommend these, and will probably buy another one to keep as a spare.

This book exposes American car companies indifference towards environment and national energy security. A must read for every American who cares about environment and terrorism.

Chelsea Sexton: "The EV1 caught the eye of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), a regulatory body searching for ways to meet the states Clean Air Act and clear its smoggy skies". Sep 1990, CARB mandated if companies wanted to do business in California, they had to produce a percentage of zero emission vehicles: 1998 - 2%, 2001 - 5%, and 2003 - 10%. "The Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate might as well have been a kiss of death for the EV1." Automotive News in 1998 figured GM spent $350 million for the EV1 development. People outside GM believe the company spent $600 million on its multi-year lobbying and public relations campaign to kill the ZEV Mandate. In late 2001, GM and Chrysler sued Calfornia to block the ZEV mandate. By 2005, of the 800 EV1 available for public lease, all but 78 were hauled off to Arizona and crushed. By 2003, ZEV Mandate "gave automakers the option of meeting requirements by making a handful of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles for demonstration purposes". "CARB went along with the hydrogen scenario, even though this technology would not be usable for decades, if ever." "In 2001, CARB had created a new category, alternative technology partial zero-emission vehicles, to give extra credit to hybrids and especially plug-in hybrids with a 20-mile all-electric range." In 2003, the range was reduced to 10 miles. CARB stated, "We believe that they are accelerating our progress toward our ultimate goal, which is zero-emission vehicles. We're particularly happy with how this AT-PZEV portion of our regulation has worked out." After AT-PZEZ, 2003, GM and other automakes officially canceled their electric-car programs.

The ZEV mandate ensured tought competition, a new kind of vehicle, and historical resistence to change. GM and other automakers went to work to meet California's ZEV Mandate. "Seven major car companies each signed an individual Memorandum of Agreement with CARB to produce a small number of electric vehicles by 200 as a demonstration of their viability, and to make ZEV's 10% of sales in 2003."

GM initiality built 660 lead-acide battery packs with a 70 to 90 mile range per charge In 1999 GM release the last 182 EV1s which used the Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery with a range of 140 miles. GM was in a financial slump and looked to cut costs. "It abandoned the EV1 and bought the hummer brand and started to ramp up it's marketing of the most wasteful car in history." The EV1 waiting list grew to 5,000 names. GM said it would restart production of the EV1, if there was enough customer demand. Other prototype versions of the EV1 were created but not marketed, including a plugin hybrid version.

The hybrid and electric car could lose out to the new "Air Car". The MDI Engine is more efficient, with a different configuration that allows pressure to build in the piston producing better torque. Four horizontal piston turn the camshaft. The vehicle runs on compressed air stored in a carbon fiber tank. The air can be compressed from home in a four hour recharge cycle or on the road using a gas powered compressor. 6000 ZEVs are scheduled to hit the streets of India in 2008. Tata has indicated that they will build the Air car. The air car solves the problem of energy storage, no batteries required. The air refuel stations run on electricity meaning no transportation of energy required. Recharging air reserves is off the electrical grid. The car will be light (simple and small engine less steel), so stronger nanotechnology materials will be required. The air energy usage is very efficient.

India and China will push the Air car technology into a feasible and desired market opportunity. The low cost will apply to the vast number of comuters that travel less than a 100 miles a day.

America could transform automobiles like they did computer technology creating a doubling of computational power every 18 months and doubling information every nine months which created more value for less money. IBM next generation of computer architecture could move computation towards artifical neocortex machines, another leap forward. Automobile value has been noncompetitive and for this reason the price remains high for the value. However, India and China competition will bring new levels of innovation and value to the market.

People want cheap fuel alternatives. The automotive company that provides increase comfort and power with a every decreasing fuel cost will penetrate the market and gain market share. The cell phone replaced the land line telephone; the Voip replace both; the iPhone combined music, media, and phone together in device function within a emerging network. The automobile will become an appliance, it is inevitable. The applicance could run on air or electricity. The market will follow the path of lest resistence. Air cars have less waste problems and disposal of the car include recycling the materials used in the car.

MiniCat: Compress Air recharge from an air-station will be 3 mins. The cost of the vehicle will range between $12,000 to $16,000; 800 miles with dual energy - air and gas.

CityCat: will sale for $13k running at speeds of 68 mph and maintaining a range of 125 miles. MDI says it will cost about $2 to fill the carbon-fiber tanks with 340 liters of air at 4350 psi.

City bus: MDI uses the CAT's Series 34 moto-compressors/moto-alternators which are safe and powerful; the compressed air be used to power the alternator and produce 10-20kW of electricity.


Hybrids Case:

LA 301: produced by Clean Air Transport, four seater, 57 hp electric motor, 18kwh of batteries, 650 cc internal combustion engine, and 7 gallon gasoline tank with a range of 150 miles.

In 2006, Tien Doung said, "We changed, a plug-in hybrid is the most viable technology."

DOE futurecar challenge proved that a ford Taurus could replace the 140 hp engine, 3,000-cc, 6-cylinder with a 3 cylinder, 660 cc motor combined with a 100 hp electric motor. The Taurus accelerated from 0-60 in 10 seconds and had 15% less moving parts. "To cruise at 80 miles per hour on highways only requires about 40 hp in an engine, most cars carry around 250-300 hp." The electric motor provides the performance and acceleration and the gasoline engine provides the steady-state load for the greatest efficiency.

The Volvo HEV98 combined an electric drivetrain with a three-cylinder piston engine. Ford buys Volve and the parallel hydrid drivetrain was applied in Ford's first hydrid SUV, the Escape hybrid.

"President Lyndon Johson slapped a 25% tax on all imported light trucks in 1964 to retail against Europe for restricting imports of frozen chickens from the United States. US automakers exploited that advantage and began advertising their trucks and utility vehicles to all drivers." "Congress exempted light trucks from the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act that set fuel economy standards." "The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 allowed light trucks to emit tow to five times as much pollutants compared with cars." By 1998, 47% of the vehicles sold in the US were SUVs and light trucks. "Truck sales accounted for $4 billion of Ford's record $6.5 billion in profits in 1997".

In 2000, Andrew Frank converted a Chevrolet Suburban to a plug-in hybrid increasing mileage from 15 mpg to 29 mpg. The suburban hybrid included a DC brushless electric motor on the front wheels making it four wheel drive, a 1.9 Liter gasoline engine, and the ability to run on electricity for 60 miles tapping 29kwh NiMH battery pack before relying on gasoline. The hybrid suburban had less emission than an Honda Insight on trips of 87 miles or less. Frank also converted a 330 hp Ford Explorer using a 1.9 liter Saturn engine, 75 kwh electric motor, and weighted with batteries 4,500 pounds and remove tailgate and seats yielding the same weight as the original.

Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) converted a 1998 Prius putting in 5 kwh Ovonic NiMH batteries, 20 AH, tripling the power and energy with a 20% increase in weight. The prius could travel 20 miles on electric only and 70-80 miles per gallon of gasoline.

AC Propulsion built a plug-in hybrid Jetta that had an all electric range of 30 miles and improved efficiency, 27 mpg city, and 34 mpg highway with a 560 miles per tank range.

"Calcar and EnergyCS estimate that plug-in hybrid would sell for $3,000 more than a hybrid or $5000 more than a non hybrid car if mass-produced by a major automaker."

This is a passionately writtten book by a true believer. It's also one of the first books of its type in what will probably be a fairly well-populated category eventually. If you have seen the movie Who Killed the Electric Car and read Joseph Romm's book The Hype About Hydrogen, then you pretty much know the basic arguments presented in this book. The book is sort of an interesting mix of stories, introductions to hybrid and EV advocates and tidbits of information about these types of cars and their recent history. The biggest impression that the average reader should come away with is the idea that the American public has not been given the chance to have the types of transportation options that might be adventageous for us due to a long history of manipulation and obstruction by auto and oil companies. I think a lot of people would really find plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles enjoyable to own and drive if they were given the chance. Hopefully the climate of opinion will change quickly enough for these types of vehicles to enter the market and make a real difference before it's too late. There are some positive signs. Finally, I'm sure most readers have a pretty good idea why these types of vehicles are a good idea, but if anyone doesn't, this book outlines a number of good reasons.

"Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America" is an advocacy book. Sherry Boschert believes in her heart that plug-in hybrid cars will change America. You cannot read this book and doubt that.

And there is nothing wrong with that. You do not have to be neutral about a subject like this to write well about it. In fact, the opposite is true -- no writer can write a good book about a subject that he or she does not feel strongly about.

But even if you are not neutral, and cannot be neutral, you need to be fair. And that's where Sherry Boschert is weak. In Plug-in Hybrids, she has not been fair. At least, not enough.

A few examples. Boschert says, "As Marc says, it's a choice between riding to the store in your Hummer today, or having life-saving medications available to your grandchild." Huh? Come again? To say that Hummer drivers (as opposed to other drivers) are depriving their grandchildren of life-saving medications is too much. It's not being fair.

Another example. Boschert says that GM conspired to buy up the nation's clean and popular streetcar systems and replace them with buses. That resulted in the obliteration of US electric public transportation. For that, GM was fined $5,000 for antitrust violations.

Boschert cites the film "Taken for a Ride" as her reference. That film, in turn, is a very slanted, poorly researched doumentary that relies solely on the research of Bradford Snell. Snell's view of history -- and his finding of a giant oil company/GM conspiracy to eliminate electric public transportation -- has some support. But historians who have looked at his arguments and evidence have found them wanting. Very much wanting. In my view, and in theirs, Snell has rewritten history. Boschert relies on a dubious source to present this point as uncontroversial. That's not being fair.

There are other examples. Boschert notes the advantages of nickel metal hydride batteries, and says that battery technology is not a problem for plug-in hybrid cars. She says that the Toyota Prius makes a great plug-in hybrid car. She says that GM had no reason to kill its EV1 electric car. Nor Toyota to kill its RAV4 EV electric sports utility vehicle.

On all these points, there is another view. (Certainly GM and Toyota would disagree on the points that apply to them.) Read this book, and you would never know that. Boschert treats all these points as proved. Uncontroversial. So there's no balance to her presentation. It becomes a melodrama with heroes and villains. Real life is not that way.

Of course, if you are preaching to the choir, that's fine. And here that is what Boschert is doing. Her choir is Andrew Frank, Marc Geller, Ron Gremban, Felix Kramer, Chelsea Sexton and James Woolsey. Add to that everybody involved in the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" None of these people will quarrel with Boschert's book.

But if that's all you're doing -- preaching to the choir -- why write the book? If you advocate plug-in hybrid cars, a balanced view will gain more converts. And a balanced view will be fair.

I enjoyed Boschert's book. But I can't help but wish that she had aimed higher. If she had been more critical? More balanced? With her research and writing skills -- and with her passion --she could have written a book that would change a lot of minds. This book, Plug-in Hybrids, will not.

"Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America" is an advocacy book. Sherry Boschert believes in her heart that plug-in hybrid cars will change America. You cannot read this book and doubt that.

And there is nothing wrong with that. You do not have to be neutral about a subject like this to write well about it. In fact, the opposite is true -- no writer can write a good book about a subject that he or she does not feel strongly about.

But even if you are not neutral, and cannot be neutral, you need to be fair. And that's where Sherry Boschert is weak. In Plug-in Hybrids, she has not been fair. At least, not enough.

A few examples. Boschert says, "As Marc says, it's a choice between riding to the store in your Hummer today, or having life-saving medications available to your grandchild." Huh? Come again? Oil has many uses. Even the late Shah of Iran said that oil is too precious to burn. But to say that Hummer drivers are depriving their grandchildren of life-saving medications is too much. It's not being fair.

Another, more subtle example. Boschert says that GM conspired to buy up the nation's clean and popular streetcar systems and replace them with buses. That resulted in the obliteration of US public electric transportation. For that, GM was fined $5,000 for antitrust violations.

Boschert cites the film "Taken for a Ride" as her reference. That film, in turn, relies on the research of Bradford Snell. Snell's view of history -- and his finding of a giant oil company/GM conspiracy to eliminate electric public transportation -- should not be ignored. Snell has as much right to his opinion as anyone. But historians who have looked at his arguments and evidence have found them wanting. Very much wanting. In my view, and in theirs, Snell has rewritten history. Boschert relies on a dubious source to present this point as uncontroversial. That's not being fair.

There are a few other examples. Boschert notes the advantages of nickel metal hydride batteries, and says that battery technology does not stand in the way of plug-in hybrid cars. She says that the Toyota Prius makes a great plug-in hybrid car. She says that GM had no reason to kill its EV1 electric car. Nor Toyota to kill its RAV4 EV electric sports utility vehicle.

On all these points, there is another view. (Certainly GM and Toyota would disagree on the points that apply to them.) Read this book, and you would never know that. Boschert treats all these points as proved. Uncontroversial. So there's no balance to her presentation. It becomes a melodrama with heroes and villains. Real life is not that way.

Of course, if you are preaching to the choir, that's fine. And here that is what Boschert is doing. Her choir is Andrew Frank, Marc Geller, Ron Gremban, Felix Kramer, Chelsea Sexton and James Woolsey. Add to that everybody involved in the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" None of these people will quarrel with Boschert's book.

But if that's all you're doing -- preaching to the choir -- why write the book? If you advocate plug-in hybrid cars, a balanced view will gain more converts. And a balanced view will be fair.

I enjoyed Boschert's book. But I can't help but wish that she had aimed higher. If she had been a little more critical? A little more balanced? With her research and writing skills -- and with her passion --she could have written a book that would change a lot of minds. This book, Plug-in Hybrids, will not.

I've often wondered what been happening with electric/hybrid car development since the mid 90's and GM's EV-1. Remarkably little is written on this subject.

This book reveals the truth about what's possible, and how little the car manufacturers are doing to make them a reality. Even Toyota's Prius is a small step compared to what they could be making NOW.

Sherry Boschert brings her science-writing skills to bear on the thorny problem of efficient transportation on the highways. While informing us about the details of hybrid vehicle technology, she also manages to weave in the gremlins that have interfered with improving car efficiency for many years. Her portrayal of the problem of hydrogen hype is well documented and clearly explained in Chapter 3. I recommend this book highly to the environmentally concerned driver as one of the best books in the field, because it gives the reader the inside story with scientific balance.

In "Plug-in Hybrids" (New Society, 2006), Sherry Boschert writes about recent electric vehicles, charged from commercial power lines, with gasoline engine backup. See also Michael Schiffer, "Taking Charge" (Smithsonian Books, 1994), on the early history of electric vehicles, about 1880 to 1930.

Main merits of Boschert's book: wide-ranging account of many starts and slips from about 1990 to the present; engaging style, focused on charismatic individuals; deconstruction of hydrogen-powered transportation myths.

Main defects of Boschert's book: inability to relate vehicle speed to operating range performance, cavalier approach to environmental and conservation issues, lack of concern about long-range marketing appeal.

Boschert says plug-in hybrid vehicles can reduce petroleum use and air pollution but does not prove the case. In order to do both, widespread use of plug-in hybrids must somehow avoid stimulating new coal-fired, oil-fired and gas-fired power plants. Boschert shows no way to assure that such an outcome would actually occur.

This book --which in some ways begins where the video "Who Killed the Electric Car" ends, but is yet independent of it --is a very practical, myth-busting discussion of the facts about the capabilities of alternatively-powered vehicles. As one might guess from the title, the book concludes that of all the possible alternatives for fueling cars, plug-in hybrids are the most practical. In fact, as the book reiterates, practical plug-in hybrids were produced and leased by the auto companies about a decade ago --and then recalled and destroyed. Today (July, 2007), news reports say Toyota and GM and perhaps Ford and others "hope" to have an electric car available by 2010. The news stories say Toyota and GM are having trouble getting much more than a range of 40 miles out of the batteries, even though this book points out GM produced electric vehicles in 1999 with a range of about 140 miles!

This book is a good primer on how plug-in hybrids work, and also explores other alternative technologies such as hydrogen and fuel cells, though for several reasons it returns to plug-in hybrids as being immediately available technology.

Highly recommended. Great follow-up to "Who Killed the Electric Car"

If you hunger for more info on Electric Vehicles, solutions to Global warming, ending the war in Iraq, ending our dependence on Oil and returning to a more secure (pre 9/11, pre Iraq war) life and economy, Boschert illustrates how both sides/extremes of the political spectrum are joining together to kick the oil habit.

Even George W. admits "America is addicted to Oil" but the car and oil companies will do anything to "keep the junkie hooked" and Dubya wants to devastate Alaska for a dismal amount of domestic oil.

Don't believe the Hype about using electricity to power cars will worsen GHG and other emissions. This book cites all the studies that disprove that myth.

Ordinary citizens are joining forces with Engineers, Evangelicals, Environmentalists, some reluctant Automakers and National security Hawks (Ex CIA Director James Woolsey et. al.) to pave the way to eliminate our dependence on oil.

Like the back cover says "It will recharge your political batteries".
Get this book and get involved.

This book also clarifies the different flavours of Hybrids: Series, Parallel, Series/Parallel, Full, Hollow and Flex Fuel options.

PS An "easy read" despite some chapters quoting various gallons, kilowatts, miles and kilometres.

This book is an excellent primer on the current status of PEHV's and an insignt to where this technolgy needs to go. One can only hope that the time frame for implementation is shortened considerably. If you are concerned about rising gas prices and the destruction of our environment you should read this.

Outstanding. Very thought provoking and evokes a thought: why aren't there plug-in Hybrids? Could it be the oil industry is minimizing this important technology?

Glen loaned me a book called "Plug in Hybrids" by Sherry Boschert. Glen reads tons of books on energy, conservation etc. The book was a great read and made a compelling case for hybrid cars (like my Prius) that plug in to recharge. This would allow them to run for perhaps 100 Km or more without the gas engine kicking in. She makes a compelling environmental case.

What she missed was a good chapter on the economics of using electric power from the grid vs. gas. The information was there but it was hard to get at (running an straight electricity from the grid is about half the cost of gas). For environmentalism to become mainstream, I think it needs to be driven by economics.

Perhaps I am too overboard on the time efficiency but she could also use a chapter on the time savings to just plug in at night instead of filling up at a gas station. I never timed how long it takes to fill up but it seems whenever I need gas, I am running late and there is a line up at the pumps. And for that matter, it is usually the coldest day of the year with a good strong wind.

There is a bit of conspiracy theory throughout on GM killing their famous electric car etc.

Bottom line. After I read the book, I would definitely get a plug in hybrid and hope the automakers come up with one soon.

This is a mind-blowing book. With technology available today, we could start mass-producing cars that run both on electricity and gasoline (or biofuels). You could plug your car in at night and charge it while you slept. Then you could drive 40 or more exhaust-free miles before the car switched to gasoline. Since 50% of Americans drive 20 miles or less per day, and 80% drive 50% or less, most of the driving in a plug-in hybrid would be on electricity. (Plug-in hybrids average 100 mpg.)
Happily the plug-in hybrid now has many enthusiastic and influential supporters, from environmentalists to conservatives worried about America's dependence on foreing oil -- R. J. Woolsey, former CIA director and the NY Times colulmnist Thomas L. Friedman, among them.
Another intersting fact: plugging in your car at night could tap otherwise unused electricity from wind farms, because wind farms don't have a way to store the energy produced at night. So wind power, could end up running our cars.

This is a mind-blowing book. With technology available today, we could start mass-producing cars that run both on electricity and gasoline (or biofuels). You could plug your car in at night and charge it while you slept. Then you could drive 40 or more exhaust-free miles before the car switched to gasoline. Since 50% of Americans drive 20 miles or less per day, and 80% drive 50% or less, most of the driving in a plug-in hybrid would be on electricity. (Plug-in hybrids average 100 mpg.)
Happily the plug-in hybrid now has many enthusiastic and influential supporters, from environmentalists to conservatives worried about America's dependence on foreing oil -- R. J. Woolsey, former CIA director and the NY Times colulmnist Thomas L. Friedman, among them.
Another intersting fact: plugging in your car at night could tap otherwise unused electricity from wind farms, because wind farms don't have a way to store the energy produced at night. So wind power, could end up running our cars.

This book is deligently researched and compellingly written, full of good history and vivid portraits of the major players. It contains easy-to-understand explanations of complex issues and technology. Sherry Boschert has made the subject a page-turner. For the environmentally and politically conscious, this should be your next book. I'm convinced that a plug-in hybrid should be my next car.

This book is deligently researched and compellingly written, full of good history and vivid portraits of the major players. It contains easy-to-understand explanations of complex issues and technology. Sherry Boschert has made the subject a page-turner. For the environmentally and politically conscious, this should be your next book. I'm convinced that a plug-in hybrid should be my next car.

...for anyone interested in plug-hybrids and highly recommended for those who care about petroleum dependency or environmental issues. Boschert's work is diligently researched and entirely up to date on the state of the art of advanced plug-in hybrids. Anyone looking to gather insights into this technology will be richly rewarded by the by the information presented here.

As a long-time solar home-owner in the East Coast of the US, I have been looking for practical information on resolving the other major portion of the energy-dependence equation--transportation. If the newly-elected Democratic Congress is sincerely looking for a way out of the Middle East, this would make for some very hopeful holiday reading. It's the most important book I've read all year.

This book gives a positive explanation of how and why this automotive "revolution" is happening. It makes a positive case for PHEV's, but it does not get too technical. It has a good set of references in the notes, in case you want check anything for yourself. I enjoyed the book, but I`m a bit biased. I go to things like the Hybridfest and have a CalCars bumper sticker on my car. I'm an electrical engineer and following Plug-in Hybrid vehicle progress is my current passion.