Wide-scale use of electric vehicles (evs) could result in large reductions in urban air pollution. However, consumer acceptability of battery-powered evs is limited because of the short range of the vehicles. One possibility for eliminating the range disadvantage of evs without sacrificing their potential for improving air quality is to supplement battery energy with electricity supplie{d through the roadway. The costs, environmental impacts, and electric utility impacts of roadway-powered electric vehicles (rpevs) are assessed. It is concluded that rpev air quality benefits are substantial and that the technology could prove economically competitive with petroleum-fueled motor vehicles. Continuing research and development is needed tonarrow cost uncertainties. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1267, Global warming: transportation and energy considerations 1990.
Samenvatting