The transportation sector, dominated by the personal automobile, is responsible for over one-fourth of North America's total energy consumption. Motor vehicles account for the overwhelming majority of harmful atmospheric emissions. In addition, rising fuel, road, and infrastructure costs are beginning to converge, driving us to the end of Autopia.
The Zero-Carbon Car reviews the issues of climate change and carbon rationing, Peak Oil, urban sprawl, and geopolitical and socioeconomic disruption related to fossil fuel use. The book argues that, while there is no way to avoid the eventual demise of the automobile, there is an opportunity for the automotive industry to develop and governments to support an ultra-efficient, zero-carbon-emission automobile.
The second half of the book documents the successful design and construction of a zero-carbon vehicle, proving that the technology is not only possible, it is viable today. For those who wish to fabricate their own vehicles, plans and software are provided in the book and at the accompanying website.
The Zero-Carbon Car is a must-read for automotive enthusiasts, environmentalists, and anyone who cares about how their transportation choices affect the planet. The book may not solve the world's fuel, transportation, and energy supply problems, but it could help pave the way to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
William Kemp is the vice president of engineering for an energy sector corporation, a sustainable living and clean energy advocate, a leading expert in renewable energy technologies, and the author of The Renewable Energy Handbook, Smart Power, and Biodiesel Basics and Beyond.
