ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some of the impediments to electric vehicles as well as other opportunities that arise when using this new form of mobility. A Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) combines an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and an electric motor within the drive train. Growing concerns over the limited supply of fossil-based fuels are motivating intense activity in the search for alternative road transportation propulsion systems. In addition, regulatory pressures to reduce urban pollution, CO2 emissions and city noise have made plug-in electric vehicles a very attractive choice as the alternative to the internal combustion engine. A Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is a vehicle equipped, in general, with a larger battery compared to HEVs, that allows recharging of the battery via home outlets or at charging stations. The chapter also presents some of the key concepts discussed in this book.
