Book Review and Interview
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hybrid & Alternative Fuel Vehicles
There's a lot of information out there about hybrid and eco friendly cars. This book gives the research and facts about buying a green vehicle in simple language.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hybrid & Alternative Fuel Vehicles is an important book for car shoppers considering ways to improve fuel economy or lighten their carbon footprints. The author, Jack R. Nerad, comes from a position of knowledge; he's the executive editorial director of the Kelly Blue Book. As part of a book review, he spoke with Luxury Travel about the growing relevance of alternative fuel vehicles in today's world.
The Complete Idiot's Guides are renown for breaking down complicated, multilayered topics into easily understandable categories, usually in plain language and simple terms. It's this accessibility that makes The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hybrid and Alternative Fuel Vehicles an easy read. Understanding the hows and whys of hybrid cars (and other car options with reduced CO2 emissions) is important, as well. Jack Nerad was very clear that there is no one answer for every consumer considering switching to alternative fuel with their next car purchase. As he told Luxury Travel, "There is not one answer, but a multiplicity of good answers. One or another will be right for the person seeking to reduce his carbon footprint, and be responsible, while not sacrificing horsepower or automobile size needs."
What eco friendly automobile topics are covered:
- Brief history of alternate fuel technology
- The importance of having a hybrid or otherwise fuel efficient car
- Gasoline-electric hybrid cars
- Flex fuel (ethanol) vehicles
- Natural gas vehicles
- Clean diesel and biodiesel cars
- New technology gasoline cars
- Electric cars
- Conversion kits: Converting cars to hybrid, flex fuel, natural gas, and biodiesel cars
- Advantages and disadvantages of each kind of car
- Future automobile technology such as clean diesel and great fuel efficiency
- Comparing the technologies
- Which reduced CO2 emission automobile is right for different types of car users
It's a fact that oil is a nonrenewable resource: Once it's gone, it's gone. It's also a fact that reducing CO2 emissions impacts global warming and the health of the planet. This book, as easy as it is to read, fully answers questions potential car buyers have about hybrids - questions unanswered by mere sound bites. The author knows there's a balance between the desire to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce global warming, and the desire to keep Americans employed and the automobile industry healthy. These issues, related to geopolitics of fuel and the conservation of resources, all deserve attention. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hybrids and Alternative Fuel Vehicles pays more than cursory attention to these interrelated issues. This review considers the book highly recommended.
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