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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Electric automobiles: energy, environmental, and economic prospects for the future

Book ·
OSTI ID:5419315
The book discusses the pros and cons of electric cars for the motorist as well as for the nation as a whole. For the motorist, it compares the prospective performance and costs of electric cars with those of conventional cars. For the nation, it projects the changes in energy use, petroleum use, air pollution, and traffic noise that would result from substituting electric cars for conventional cars. Specific projections are advanced for the years 1980, 1990, and 2000. Beginning with the reasons for the current interest in electric cars and why they have not yet come into widespread use, the book offers useful information on: prospective propulsion batteries, with projections of battery performance and capabilities; patterns for urban driving, which serve as a basis for determining the applicability of electric cars with different driving ranges and passenger capabilities; comprehensive projections of electric utility capacity and generation by fuel type, both with and without electric cars; the number of electric cars that may be recharged without adding utility capacity beyond that already planned; the requirements of electric cars for battery materials; and the impact of electric cars on urban air quality and traffic noise.
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-03-1180
OSTI ID:
5419315
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English