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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 629.2293 EAN: 9780071543736 Edition: 2 ISBN: 0071543732 Label: McGraw-Hill Professional Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 327 Publication Date: November 01, 2008 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Studio: McGraw-Hill Professional Related Items:
Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Excessive tree-hugging and lacks detail and authorityThis is Leitman's update of Bob Brant's original 1993 book. I have read both. Like the original book it suffered from excessive tree-hugging. I read the book for an insight into electric vehicles, not a rehash of material from the International Panel on Climate Change (which some people believe and others do not). Given it's date, I was surprised that there was not more discussion of Lithium batteries and AC drives. Also, do not expect a lot of detail on the actual process of conversion. There was just one chapter on this and it was quite general - not clearly based on a single conversion exercise, and certainly nothing like detailed step-by-step instructions. Even the theory chapters were a bit shallow and lacking both clarity and authority. If you were expecting to come away with a clear understanding of the difference between a wound-rotor and a squirrel cage motor, or the pluses and minuses of different Lithium chemistries, you would be disappointed. Rating:  - Buy it for infoThis book is a good read if you are into all af the technical data on electric cars but not too good if you are looking to build one. Information on how to make an electric car is limited to the basics of what you will need to do. There isn't a lot on how to actually do it though. The information this book contains is useful as a introduction to self building an electric car as it does give all the details on what you need but due to lack of instructions I wouldn't reccommend it to someone with no technical knowledge. If Haynes made a manual it probably be better but I suggest buying this so you know what you are getting into first so you can decide weather you can do it or if it would be too much trouble. Either way buy it. I have and I believe I can do it even though I have never built a car before. Rating:  - Useful (but biased) information'Build Your Own Electric Vehicle' is an easy to read book, with a lot of good information on everything from the history of electric vehicles to estimating performance of your own EV. Where I was disappointed was with the, at times, heavy biases in Mr. Brant's writing. At times, his 'save the world by driving an EV' rants almost convinced me to return the book. Mr. Brant brings up many tradeoffs with EVs - buy/convert/build from scratch, 6-volt/12-volt batteries, truck/car/van, etc. In each case, he compares the pros and cons and proceeds to say 'The best choice is ...' If there are tradeoffs involved, there probably isn't a 'best choice'. Instead, a more appropriate summary might be 'If range is your primary concern, X is better. If acceleration is what you want, then go with Y.' Perhaps I would have a higher opinion of the book if I hadn't read it from start to end. If you are looking for specific information (How can I estimate the range/current draw for my EV?), this is a good book. If you want a general overview of EVs, I would look somewhere else. Rating:  - A comprehensive guide to the components and systems of EVsThis 310 page book is more than its title implies. It is an excellent source of information, even if one is just interested in learning more about the subject of electric vehicles. Mr Brant's credentials include a degree in engineering, and having worked on the Lunar Rover. He begins his book by exploring the appropriateness of the electric vehicle from an environmental standpoint. He then quickly reviews the history of the EV, from the mid 1800's to the present. He does a good job of surveying the current (as of late 1993) crop of electic vehicle producers, as well as the plans of the major auto makers for electrics. Brant devots a chapter to the options available to the person who wants to own an electric vehicle today: Buy a ready to run car from a manufacturer or converter, have one built or converted for you, or do the conversion yourself. One option that he seems to largely discount is the option of buying a used EV. Although such vehicles can be somewhat hard to find, especially away from large cities on the coasts, they can put a person into an EV for much less money and work than any other alternative. As you might expect from the book's title Brant favors the self-conversion option. He compares the various types of motor vehicles as conversion options; passenger cars, vans, and small pickup trucks. His conclusion, that a small pickup truck might be the easiest to convert, while giving the best range, seems a valid one, as long as a small pickup meets your needs, and suits your style. Chapter 5 is an excellent reference listing suppliers, EV clubs, and various converters and manufacturers. With Chapter 6 Brant begins the real meat of the book. He presents formulae and charts that allow you predict the performance of the vehicle you choose for conversion, and pick the size of motor and batteries that you will need. The next chapters are devoted to each of the unique systems of an EV in some detail: Electric motors, controllers, batteries, and chargers. To this reviewer, these chapters are the most valuable, and make this book useful to anyone with an interest in Electric Vehicles. The current state of the art is reviewed for each of these systems in some detail and with an eye toward practical maintanence and selection, and upcoming technology is also covered. Surprisingly, only one chapter of the book covers the actual conversion process. Although there is probably enough detail here for the experienced home mechanic or mechanically inclined individual, someone who has never pulled an engine out of a car, or done other major repairs on his own, will probably need more help; especially if his conversion is not of a small pickup truck. All-in-all there is a lot of good information in this book, and it is a vital addition to the library of any would-be electric vehicle converter, owner or pipe dreamer..  Try searching the Internet for "Build Your Own Electric Vehicle" or Ebay for "Build Your Own Electric Vehicle". You might also be interested in the following great products:
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