Book Review: Hybrid & Electric Vehicles, A Beginner’s Guide, by Marshall “Chip” Fox (2021)

EVinfo.net’s demographic is both the electric vehicle early adopter or EV professional, as well as EV newbies, just learning the basics. EVinfo.net covers the whole spectrum of EV news and information, from basic to advanced, from the latest news to EV adoption history.

If you’re an EV newcomer, then this book is for you. Chip Fox’s goal with the book was to introduce hybrid and electric vehicles in an easy-to-read, concise format. He succeeded in this goal. Get your book at ev101book.com or Amazon.

First, I’d like to say that writing an EV/hybrid book these days takes guts. I’ve tried reading some of these books that were a few years old, and by that time, the information was thoroughly outdated. So, unlike most other subjects, the EV author finds his or her work becoming quickly outdated, because of the incredible speed that the market and technology are moving.

About Chip Fox

Chip Fox worked for thirty four years in the electric utility industry, marketing energy efficiency programs. He’s also a lifelong auto enthusiast and supporter of sustainability. Because of these interests and experience, he realized that electric vehicles combined several of his passions, so he should begin to promote them and adopt them in his personal life.

Notes on the EV, EVSE and EV charging industries

Chip notes that there’s currently a lot of fragmentation in the EV industry which I definitely agree with. The auto dealers need to do more educating of their staff to intelligently explain all of the facts needed to consider buying an EV or hybrid. The utilities need to make the incentives available easier to understand. The charging companies need to make more public charging available, and do more educating of drivers on how and where to charge, as there are many different kinds of charging technologies and connections available.

EVs outnumbered gas vehicles at one time

The book begins with some interesting history of EVs and vehicles, such as in 1900, a little over 41,000 vehicles were produced in the US. The breakdown of engine types at that time was:

Steam: 40%
ICE (internal combustion engine): 22%
Electric: 38%

Even back in those days, people didn’t like the pollution caused by the ICE vehicles and were drawn to electric. Basically why ICE overtook electric was the more common availability of cheap gasoline, over electric charging. Thomas Edison was set to work with Henry Ford on an EV. That effort failed, and thus Ford’s model A paved the way for ICE vehicles to take over.

In 2001, The Toyota Prius burst onto the market and changed everything. Chip says, “To say that Toyota revolutionized the automotive industry by creating the first large scale production of a hybrid automobile is an understatement.” I agree, as I believe the Prius paved the way for all of the EVs we see hitting the market now, in 2022.

Types of EVs

In this chapter, Chip covers basics of vehicle types, including:

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)
Zero-emission vehicles powered only by an electric battery. No gas needed.

Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)
These are powered by an electric battery and driven without gas in all-electric mode, and an internal combustion engine, which uses gas when the battery is depleted. The battery can be recharged using a plug.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
Without a plug, these vehicles have both an electric battery and a combustion engine, but the battery is charged by the combustion engine so all the propulsion comes from gasoline. HEVs cannot be plugged in.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCVs)
The least common type of EV. There are only a few dozen hydrogen refueling stations across the U.S., and projections show that this type of EV, which generate their electricity onboard, will not become mainstream.

Tesla and Elon Musk

Chapter three is named “Tesla.” I agree with Chip that in any discussion of EVs, Tesla and Elon Musk must be prominently mentioned. Because Tesla was the first company in recent history to produce cool, fast, (however expensive) EVs, the company has made a name for itself as a leader of the EV space.

Tesla broke down many barriers and disrupted the auto industry in many ways, including selling vehicles direct and not employing dealers. They also created their own proprietary charging network, which remains the leading charging network in the US. A problem with their proprietary network is interconnection with other EVs, since the government did not become involved in standardization of charging infrastructure until recently.

EV batteries

Battery prices, according to Chip, have come down significantly. From $1,000/kWh in 2010 to $156/kWh in 2019, I would agree and say that its more than significant. It’s also another reason why EVs are gaining in popularity so quickly. Prices are coming down, I believe soon there will be more options for the lower end of the market.

EV selection in 2021 and today

Chip says, “the question to ask in today’s marketplace is which OEMs don’t offer a a plug in hybrid or full BEV.” I agree, at this point nearly every major OEM, if not all, are offering hybrids or BEVs. Chip discusses several of the OEMs including Rivian, VW, Lordstown Motors, Polestar, RBW Electric classic cars, and one of my favorites, Arcimoto Motors. Arcimoto’s Fun Utility Vehicle was offered at $17,900 in 2021.

EV charging

In Chapter 5, Chip discusses level 1, 2, and 3 (DC fast charging.)

For EV charging basics, see our charging section: evinfo.net/ev-charging

EV buyer pros and cons

Chapter 6 includes pros and cons of buying an EV.

Pros:
Elimination of tailpipe emissions
Reduced operational costs
Lower maintenance costs
Convienient at-home charging
Unique driving experience

Cons:
Range anxiety
Recharge time
Accessiblity to charging stations
Higher up-front vehicle costs
Understanding the technology

I agree with all of Chip’s pros and cons. There is a lot of investment in the infrastructure needed, as well as more government incentives needed, especially for buyers of used EVs. More education is needed for the driving public, as well as the employees of car dealers. Training is needed for mechanics to convert from repairing ICE to repairing EVs.

Buying or leasing, or buying new or used EV

Chapter 7 deals with the questions surrounding buying or leasing, or buying new or used. A key concern that gets in the way of EV adoption is battery life and warranty. Buyers of used EVs are wary of the replacement costs of these batteries. Another concern is that while the ever-increasing range of new EVs is encouraging, this also means that used EVs with a lower range lose resale value.

There are several good websites that offer quick comparisons in costs for between different EV and ICE vehicles. One of these sites is Kelley Blue Book.

Future EV trends

Chip covers future EV trends which I find quite interesting. One is the Ford F100 Lightning coming out soon. I believe this truck will be a game changer, because of the popularity of trucks throughout America. More than that, it can power your house for three days during an outage, a quite impressive feat indeed.

Chip mentions hearing about batteries that will provide 600 miles of driving range that can recharge 80% of their capacity in ten or fifteen minutes. I believe those goals aren’t far away now in 2022, with the rapid advances we are seeing in charging and battery technologies.

Solar powered cars

As a former marketer of solar and current supporter of solar, I find Chip’s discussion of solar powered vehicles interesting. The Lightyear One, by Lightyear motors incorporates solar panels in the roof and hood, and recharges all the time, while driving or parked. These technologies are very exciting, and I believe we’ll see solar incorporated more and more into vehicles of the future.

In closing, I highly recommend Chip’s book. A very intelligent, comprehensive and informative summarizing of all the facts and information an EV newbie would need. Also a great resource for those considering buying or leasing a new or used EV or hybrid. Get your copy here.