ZEV-2002

About the Book

I. Cover Story

The cover of ZEV-2002 depicts two separate and distinct technologies. Stonehenge is thought by many to be the world’s first “solid state” calendar and clock. Erected in the year 4000BC, multiple shadows, formed by the sun´s rays shining through the spaces between the enormous stones, produce a complex display, interpretable only by some ancient scientist. Over the years, pollution from automobiles and wood burning stoves has taken its toll on the surface of the huge stones. However, in the 21st Century, stiffer environmental regulations and pollution-free automobiles will ensure that this monument to past civilizations will remain intact for future generations to enjoy.

In the novel, the bright red MGB classic electric sports car (ZEV-2002) shown on the cover is produced in Abingdon, England in a renovated M.G. Car Company factory. This classic vehicle thus becomes the world’s first commercially available fuel cell powered electric car which does not use an internal combustion engine for propulsion. Rather, the ZEV-2002 uses a fuel cell to charge its battery, which in turn powers an electric drive motor. Because the ZEV-2002 produces virtually no emissions, it is classified as a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV).

II. ZEV-2002 Overview

ZEV-2002, a work of contemporary fiction, is MUST reading for individuals interested in the future of Electric Vehicles, and in particular is ABSOLUTE MUST reading for vintage MG sports car enthusiasts. In the novel, a senior auto designer named Bryan Cummings is portrayed as the brains behind the design of the very popular MGA, MGB, and MGC English sports cars. In 1980, rising fuel prices and tough new exhaust pollution regulations force the M.G. Car Company to halt production of these cars, causing Bryan to begrudgingly accept a transfer to the Rover Division of British Leyland, where he holds various engineering and management positions for the next twenty years.

In the summer of 2000, Bryan is approached by a group of financial investors, who offer him the opportunity to start a high tech company dedicated to the production of fuel cell-powered electric replicas of the classic MGB of the 1970s. He readily accepts their offer, and becomes the President and Chief Executive Officer of Abingdon Motors, which he locates in the original M.G. Car Company plant in Abingdon, England.

Remarkable as it may seem, electric vehicles (EVs) were actually first produced in the late 1800s. The electric power train used in gay ninety automobiles was quite efficient, but the internal combustion engine soon became the power system of choice, since batteries, as a source of energy, were no match for the high energy content, abundant supply, and low cost of petroleum-based motor fuel. Now, one century later, the internal combustion engine is fast becoming a victim of its own success, as petroleum deposits are dwindling, and cities are becoming choked with combustion by-products. Consequently, Government Regulatory Agencies are requiring automakers to develop cleaner engines, with the ultimate requirement that most vehicles being produced by the end of this decade will be Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs).

The most practical EVs on the market today are being produced by the three major Japanese automakers, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, who recently announced a line of Hybrid Electric Vehicles, which they refer to as HEVs. HEVs can operate around town primarily using an electric motor for propulsion. When more power is required, or as the battery becomes depleted, a small internal combustion engine automatically kicks in to provide the energy required to propel the car, as well as to charge the battery.

Although HEVs are significantly more fuel-efficient, and produce far less pollution than common internal combustion engine vehicles, they will never be able to meet the ultimate Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) requirement, because of their on-board internal combustion eng

About the Author

Elvet Moore retired from the Electronics Industry in 1993 with over 40 years of experience in Consumer Electronics, Integrated Circuits, Test and Measurement Systems, and Personal Computers. Since then, he has been teaching Personal Computer Applications at Las Positas College in Livermore, CA, and at ASYST, a PC network solution provider in Walnut Creek, CA. Known by his peers as an innovator with a practical understanding of a wide range of technologies, Moore uses that expertise to write with an intimate knowledge of Electronic Systems and their impact on society.