Table of Contents

Foreword xiii
Introduction and Key Takeaways 1
Key Takeaways 3
CHAPTER 1
What Are We Talking About? Cars
Powered by Batteries, Hybrids, Fuel
Cell Cars, or Others 7
BEVs 8
How Does an EV Work? 10
Types of Battery-Powered EVs 10
Hybrid Electric Vehicles 13
Parallel Hybrid 16
Series Hybrid or Range-Extender EVs 17
PHEVs 19
Hybrids with Lightweight Electric Motors 20
Other Hybrids 21
Fuel-Cell Electric Vehicles 21
Lithium-Ion Batteries 24
viii Contents
CHAPTER 2
Is an Electric Car Right for You? What
Is Different about Owning and Driving
an EV? 27
Charging Your EV 31
Cost to Charge 37
Tax Credits and Incentives 38
Warranty 38
Insurance 39
CHAPTER 3
Advantages of Electric Cars 41
EVs Are Greener 41
Carbon Footprint Comparison 43
Performance 44
Efficiency 47
Low Cost of Ownership 48
Reliability 51
Regenerative Braking 52
One-Pedal Driving 54
Computer and Controls 54
CHAPTER 4
Why the Revolution Is Happening Now? 57
Price 58
Range 60
Importance of Design 64
Connectivity 68
Contents ix
CHAPTER 5
How Did We Get Here? A History of EVs 71
CHAPTER 6
EV Myths and Misconceptions-What
Some People Want You to Believe
about EVs Is Not True 85
Myth 1: EVs Do Not Have Enough Range to Be Viable 86
Myth 2: EVs Are Not Safe to Drive 86
Myth 3: EVs Are Not Greener than Gasoline- or
Diesel-Powered Cars 88
Myth 4: EVs Are Slow 89
Myth 5: EVs Are Expensive to Maintain 90
Myth 6: There Are Not Enough Public Charging
Stations 91
Myth 7: EV Batteries Do Not Last and Will Cause
a Recycling Problem 91
Myth 8: EVs Are Too Expensive 94
Myth 9: The Electrical Grid Cannot Support
Millions of EVs 95
CHAPTER 7
News Flash! 97
Accelerating Innovation 98
Government Mandates 100
Modernized Power Grid and Renewable Energy 101
Electric Motorcycles 105
Commercial Segment 105
x Contents
CHAPTER 8
EV Buying Guide 107
Lease or Purchase 107
Audi 109
Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron 109
Audi e-tron and Sportback e-tron 111
Audi e-tron S and Sportback e-tron S 113
Audi e-tron GT 115
BMW 117
BMW i4 117
BMW iX 119
BMW i7 121
Cadillac 123
Cadillac Lyriq 123
Chevrolet 125
Chevrolet Blazer EV 125
Chevrolet Equinox EV 128
Chevrolet Silverado EV 130
Ford 132
Ford Mustang Mach-E 132
Ford F-150 Lightning 134
Genesis Motor 136
Genesis GV60 136
Genesis Electrified GV70 138
Genesis Electrified G80 140
GM 142
GMC Sierra EV 142
Hyundai Motor Company 144
Hyundai Ioniq 5 144
Jaguar 147
Jaguar I-PACE 147
Contents xi
Kia Corporation 149
Kia Niro EV 149
Kia EV6 152
Kia EV9 154
Lexus 156
Lexus RZ450e 156
Lucid Motors 158
Lucid Air 158
Maserati 160
Maserati Grecale Folgore 160
Maserati GranTurismo Folgore 162
Mercedes-Benz 164
Mercedes-Benz EQB 164
Mercedes-Benz EQE 166
Mercedes-Benz EQS 168
Mini 170
Mini Cooper SE 170
Nissan 172
Nissan Ariya 172
Nissan Leaf 175
Polestar 177
Polestar 2 177
Polestar 3 179
Porsche 180
Porsche Macan EV 180
Porsche Taycan 181
Rivian Automotive 184
Rivian R1S 184
Rivian R1T 186
Subaru 188
Subaru Solterra 188
xii Contents
Tesla 190
Tesla Model S 190
Tesla Model X 193
Tesla Model 3 196
Tesla Model Y 198
Tesla Roadster 2.0 201
Tesla Cybertruck 203
Toyota 205
Toyota bZ4X 205
Volkswagen 208
Volkswagen ID.4 208
Notable Exceptions 211
CHAPTER 9
Technical Definitions and Explainers 213
End Notes 219
Index 227
About the Authors 231

About the Author

Chris Johnston has decades of product management experience in telematics, mobile computing, and wireless communications including positions at Trimble Navigation, AT&T, Honeywell, and a couple of Silicon Valley startups. He also spent a year in India setting up an Internet-of-things practice for a major Indian corporation. Mr. Johnston has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago. Ed Sobey holds a PhD in science and teaches for Semester at Sea. The Fulbright Commission has awarded Ed three grants for training science teachers in foreign countries. To date, he has trained teachers in more than 30 countries. He is a former naval officer and has directed five science centers, published 35 books, and hosted two television series on science and technology. Ed is a Fellow of The Explorers Club and has participated in two dozen scientific expeditions.