Suggested Citation:
Sperling, Daniel (2010) Evolution of the Motor Car, review of Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Journal Article UCD-ITS-RP-10-50

Suggested Citation: Daniel Sperling. “Evolution of the motor car,” book review in Nature 464, 163 (11 March 2010): Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century, by William J. Mitchell, Christopher Borroni-Bird and Lawrence D. Burns. MIT Press: 2010. 240 pp.

How do we reconcile people's desire to own cars with the need to reduce pollution and dependency on oil? This dilemma has inspired much technological and policy innovation, from hybrid electric vehicles and smart traffic information to congestion charging and car-sharing schemes.

A proposed reinvention for urban motoring based on ultra-small electric vehicles does not address the bigger environmental or social challenges, finds Daniel Sperling.