Electric vehicles (EVs) are a vital part of the world's infrastructure and are a fundamental component in the ongoing development that powers our future transportation needs.

Limited resources and environmental pollution mean that an alternative to traditional petrol- and diesel-powered internal combustion engines is necessary to maintain and propel a sustainable society that continues to thrive.

Regardless of fuel, it is electricity that has an elemental energy which produces no toxic pollutants at point of use.

Electricity can be generated from multiple sources, many of which can be considered environmentally friendly, making it a logical choice to charge our energy needs.

In our interconnected modern lives, electricity is indispensable, powering everything from our homes to our gadgets. Yet even though the first cars developed used electricity for their source of propulsion, internal combustion engines dominated the automotive landscape due to their seemingly inexhaustible and harmless hydrocarbon fuel.

As the world developed, it became increasingly clear that our reliance upon petrol and diesel was misguided.

We are perfectly happy with using electricity for nearly all of our daily energy needs, but many still struggle with the concept of using it for transportation due to the abundance of the internal combustion engine.

The inevitable rise in electrically powered vehicles means that we all need to learn about this new (yet old) technology if we are to integrate it into our everyday lives.

Often, the unknown poses the greatest barrier to a change in habits, leading to mental roadblocks that hinder progress.

We often know more than we give ourselves credit for, but it takes a spark of inspiration for this to be realised.

This book is designed to support knowledge relating to the technology employed in the operation and use of electric vehicles; helping technicians, engineers, first responders and vehicle operators understand how they work.

This book seeks to bridge the gap between traditional propulsion methods and electric vehicles. It explores why alternative propulsion and electric vehicles are needed and the problems caused by continued fossil fuel usage. It provides a background on electrical fundamentals related to the operation and maintenance of electric vehicles.

It outlines some organisational requirements, such as resources, tooling, and equipment needed for maintaining and repairing electric vehicles in workshops.

It also introduces the components of electric vehicle drive and operating systems, as well as the maintenance, repair, and diagnosis of these systems.

Automotive Oscilloscopes and Waveform Analysis

The rapid growth of technology used in cars has highlighted the need for a piece of diagnostic equipment that will give you X-Ray Vision, and show you the heartbeat of a vehicles electrical and electronic system.

An OBD scan tool is vital for modern vehicle diagnostics; however, trouble codes will only take you so far. The problem can arise when the phrase 'fault code' is used in connection with diagnosis. A code will rarely point you directly to the root cause of a vehicle fault, but can help focus your diagnosis on a specific area and run functional tests.

It is the oscilloscope (or scope) that can truly test the operation and health of a system component.

An important thing to remember about oscilloscopes, is that they should be easy to set- up and use; otherwise they'll be passed over for a more familiar tool within your comfort zone.

Remember that nothing ever happens within your comfort zone.

There is a great deal of misconception about how difficult a scope can be to set-up, and once you are used to your own equipment, if it is laid out and ready to use, it will soon become your diagnostic tool of choice.

This book has been written to help you get the most from your oscilloscope, and has been designed to give straightforward and uncomplicated methods that can be used effectively for automotive diagnosis.

It covers many of the most common automotive waveforms, assisting you in the analysis of the patterns produced, without restricting you to rigid equipment settings, or vehicle system design. This gives you the 'scope' to develop your systematic diagnostic routines, with the flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.

The chapters will introduce you to electrical principles, the set-up and use of oscilloscopes and waveform interpretation; including key terms, points of interest and diagnostic tips to support the information provided within the text.

'Technology needs technicians, and the ability to harness technical diagnosis calls for a Master Technician'. The rapid growth in technology used in the production of cars has highlighted the need for a different approach to vehicle diagnosis and repair. The integration of complex electronic control with mechanical systems shows the brilliance in the engineering capabilities of designers and manufacturers. While this technology has improved the comfort, safety, convenience and reliability of vehicles, it has also created an issue with established methods of maintenance and repair. As many of the control systems operate beyond our natural capabilities, diagnostic tooling is required to undertake most of the fault finding duties traditionally conducted by vehicle technicians. Also, the sophisticated nature of advanced system faults will often lead to diagnostic requirements for which there is no prescribed method. One of the fundamental roles of a Master Technician will be the diagnosis and repair of these complex and advanced system faults, for which diagnostic approaches need to be developed that can provide logical strategies to reduce overall diagnostic time. An effective diagnostic routine should always begin with a logical assessment of symptoms and then uses reasoning to reduce the possible number of options, before following a systematic approach to finding and fixing the root cause. The chapters will introduce you to health and safety, electrical principles and the psychology of diagnosis, followed by technical chapters on the operation of advanced vehicle systems including: Advanced Internal Combustion Engine Technology Advanced Vehicle Driveline and Chassis Technology Advanced Vehicle Body Electrics Alternative Fuel Vehicles It will also include chapters on the non-technical skills required from a Master Technician including: Providing Technical Support and Advice to Colleagues in Motor Vehicle Environments Liaising with Vehicle Product Manufacturers and Suppliers on Technical Matters Diagnostic Consultations with Customers in Motor Vehicle Environments Fundamental Management Principles in the Automotive Industry This book offers: Ideal support for learners and tutors undertaking automotive qualifications. Information to help cover the knowledge requirements for Level 4 Master Technicians. A large number of illustrations to support knowledge and understanding.

Principles of Light Vehicle Air Conditioning 'As the number of vehicles on the world's roads rises, the demand for increased levels of comfort and convenience also grows' While air conditioning and climate control may be seen as a luxury by some, the key benefits often outweigh the initial costs and resources required to implement these systems on newly produced vehicles; in fact most new cars come with some form of air conditioning as standard. An environment which helps keep the driver and passengers comfortable and alert, maintaining the correct levels of ventilation and humidity, can increase concentration and the ability to devote more of their attention to the occupation of driving. The downside of these systems is the environmental impact of the chemicals used to provide the refrigeration process. Globally, anthropogenic, or 'man-made' emissions are believed to be the key factor in climate change and refrigerants have a larger influence than many others. Small amounts of fluorinated gasses released to atmosphere may be causing irreparable damage to our planet, initiating ozone depletion and global warming. Although many organisations are currently seeking alternatives to these harmful cocktails, at the present time we are restricted by the availability, cost and technology required to make viable replacements. This means that for the time being, technicians and air conditioning professionals need to ensure that refrigerants are handled with due diligence and systems are maintained to the highest standards in order to contain and reduce emissions. Remember these chemicals only become dangerous when released to atmosphere. This book will help provide a knowledge and understanding of air conditioning and climate control, giving you the opportunity to work on these systems using prescribed methods and techniques proven to reduce the accidental release of refrigerants to atmosphere. The chapters introduce you to health and safety, refrigeration principles including: Refrigerant Handling Mobile Air Conditioning Principles Diagnostics for Mobile Air Conditioning and Climate Control This book offers: Ideal support for learners and tutors undertaking automotive qualifications. Information to help cover the knowledge requirements for refrigerant handling and climate control. A large number of illustrations to support knowledge and understanding.

This book embraces new technologies, but also helps cover what can be achieved with traditional propulsion methods. The chapters will introduce health and safety, electrical diagnosis and tooling, followed by technical chapters on the operation of low carbon technologies for alternative propulsion including: Hybrid and electric vehicles Liquefied petroleum gas LPG Compressed natural gas CNG Biodiesel Alcohol Hydrogen internal combustion engines Hydrogen fuel cells This book offers: Ideal support for learners and tutors undertaking automotive qualifications. Information to help cover the requirements for knowledge of low carbon technologies. Information to help cover the requirements for the knowledge and understanding of hybrid and electric vehicles. A large number of illustrations to support knowledge and understanding. Information that would be useful for emergency services, including police, fire, ambulance and Coastguard.