Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future (2007; Twelve)

Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future by Iain Carson and Vijay V Vaitheeswaran It is pretty clear that something has to change. The system of transportation that we have developed over the past 100 years--the one that is dependent of infinite amounts of cheap energy and two or even three new cars in every garage is coming to an end in the not too distant future. So two correspondents for The Economist wrote a book, Zoom, that "offers a lucid and visionary portrait of what that future can be." That would be fine if only the book delivered upon its promise. The premise of Zoom is that a world without cars "would be a dim, joyless place with much-diminished freedom, mobility, and prosperity." Clearly, the authors view cars as the epitome of transportation success. The real problem, according to the authors, isn't cars but rather what powers them. Oil. The authors spend the first third of their book describing how big oil and the big-three car companies, sometimes working together and sometimes at odds, have proceeded to build a transportation infrastructure that produces pollution, congestion, greenhouse gases, and social upheaval. The second third of the book, carrying a title "Can Dinosaurs Dance?" tells the story of the Toyota Prius and goes on to discuss how corporate America and big business are now on board with climate change and the need for green energy solutions. The last part of the book is perhaps the most interesting in its insistence that the same kind of idiosyncratic forces that brought us the Internet and personal digital devices will come to our rescue to "develop the clean fuels and smart cars of tomorrow." The problem with the book is that it is long on everything you've already heard from any number of sources and short on anything new or revealing. Although the authors traveled to Asia and Europe and many places in between, their reportage is so filled with clichés and other people's talking points that it fails to provide much more than a quick Wikipedia search would give you. That's unfortunate as more recent events (that admittedly transpired after the 2007 publication date of this book) such as the global financial meltdown and subsequent implosion of the domestic auto industry have shown that, as much as we may be in love with them, cars might not be the best of all solutions for optimum personal and social mobility as we move into the 21st century. Had the authors of Zoom, even back in 2007, looked just a bit more critically at what function the automobile serves, they might have found a different answer than simply keeping cars. Copyright 2009 Kevin Clemens (speedreaders.info) Cover......Page 1 Copyright page......Page 8 Contents......Page 11 Introduction: The Great Awakening......Page 15 The Real Trouble with Cars......Page 17 The Next American Revolution......Page 20 Part I: Highway Robbery......Page 27 1 The Terrible Twins......Page 29 Ripe for Revolution......Page 31 Beyond Baroque......Page 35 Heading for Divorce......Page 36 Automobiles, the Love Affair of the Century......Page 39 The Asphalt Age......Page 42 The Green Backlash......Page 45 The Rope-a-Dope......Page 46 What's Good for GM May Be Bad for America......Page 48 Carbon Nation......Page 51 2 Down and Out in Detroit......Page 53 Chrysler Crumbles......Page 58 Changing Game Means Changing Gear......Page 62 How Ford Flunked......Page 68 The General's Decline and Fall......Page 74 3 Big Oil in Big Trouble......Page 82 The Bottomless Beer Mug......Page 85 Big Oil in Big Trouble......Page 89 Running to Stand Still......Page 90 The Age of Asymmetric Warfare......Page 92 The Anti-OPEC?......Page 94 The Coming Shakeout......Page 96 Fighting Back......Page 98 The Bottomless Well......Page 100 A New Age of Discovery......Page 103 The Spirit of Spindletop......Page 105 The Central Bank of Oil......Page 107 Innovate or Die......Page 109 Concentration, not Scarcity......Page 114 Part II: Can Dinosaurs Dance?......Page 117 4 The Parable of the Prius......Page 119 Blame a Cruel World......Page 125 Toyota: Made in the USA......Page 132 Beyond Henry Ford......Page 135 A Toyota Way......Page 142 Here's to You, Mrs. Jones......Page 146 The Prius as Parable......Page 149 5 The Axis of Oil......Page 153 Don't Mention the "O" Word......Page 155 The Paradox of Plenty......Page 157 No Taxation Without Representation......Page 159 The Devil's Excrement......Page 163 What If?......Page 165 A Witch's Brew......Page 171 6 The Slumbering Giant Awakes......Page 176 After the Storm......Page 180 While Rome Burns.........Page 184 Washington's Oil Curse......Page 187 CAFE Culture......Page 189 It's Not Easy Being Green......Page 190 How Green Is Browne?......Page 193 Beyond Hype......Page 196 Dancing with Dinosaurs......Page 201 End of the Oil Age......Page 203 Part III: Manifold Destiny......Page 205 7 Crouching Tiger, Leaping Dragon......Page 207 How Many Planets?......Page 209 Demography Is Not Destiny......Page 211 The Key Is Carbon......Page 215 Oiling the Wheels......Page 219 The Next Detroit......Page 221 The Cure from Curitiba......Page 224 3–D Vision: Develop-Despoil-Detox......Page 226 The Twenty-First-Century Detroit......Page 228 A Great Leap Forward......Page 233 A Particular Problem......Page 237 No Free Lunch......Page 240 Goldemberg's Sweet Victory......Page 248 8 The Juice and the Jalopy......Page 252 Gentlemen, Start Your Engines......Page 257 Reduced Dependency or Risky Dead End?......Page 259 The Biofuels Bandwagon......Page 263 Leapfrogging Out of Big Oil's Tentacles......Page 265 The Great Green Hope......Page 267 The Power of Price......Page 270 Manufacturing Gasoline......Page 272 Electrifying the Jalopy......Page 276 So How Does the Mojo Work?......Page 279 Plugging Into the Future......Page 282 Who Revived the Electric Car?......Page 284 Hype or Hypercar?......Page 286 Of Fuel Cells and Fallacies......Page 292 The Race Is On!......Page 296 9 A Call to Arms......Page 300 Arnie's Green Brain......Page 303 The Great Awakening......Page 310 Austin Power......Page 315 The Petro-Pragmatists and the Moon-Shooters......Page 316 The Real Cost of Oil......Page 320 Level the Playing Field......Page 325 3 Leave it to the market to pick the winners......Page 329 5 Individual action is the essential catalyst for change......Page 330 A Call to Arms......Page 331 Bibliography......Page 335 A......Page 341 C......Page 342 D......Page 343 F......Page 344 G......Page 345 I......Page 346 N......Page 347 P......Page 348 T......Page 349 Z......Page 350 Acknowledgments......Page 351 About the Authors......Page 353 About TWELVE......Page 355 History Cover 1 Copyright page 8 Contents 11 Introduction: The Great Awakening 15 The Real Trouble with Cars 17 The Next American Revolution 20 Part I: Highway Robbery 27 1 The Terrible Twins 29 Ripe for Revolution 31 Beyond Baroque 35 Heading for Divorce 36 Automobiles, the Love Affair of the Century 39 The Asphalt Age 42 The Green Backlash 45 The Rope-a-Dope 46 What's Good for GM May Be Bad for America 48 Carbon Nation 51 2 Down and Out in Detroit 53 Chrysler Crumbles 58 Changing Game Means Changing Gear 62 How Ford Flunked 68 The General's Decline and Fall 74 3 Big Oil in Big Trouble 82 The Bottomless Beer Mug 85 Big Oil in Big Trouble 89 Running to Stand Still 90 The Age of Asymmetric Warfare 92 The Anti-OPEC? 94 The Coming Shakeout 96 Fighting Back 98 The Bottomless Well 100 A New Age of Discovery 103 The Spirit of Spindletop 105 The Central Bank of Oil 107 Innovate or Die 109 Concentration, not Scarcity 114 Part II: Can Dinosaurs Dance? 117 4 The Parable of the Prius 119 Blame a Cruel World 125 Toyota: Made in the USA 132 Beyond Henry Ford 135 A Toyota Way 142 Here's to You, Mrs. Jones 146 The Prius as Parable 149 5 The Axis of Oil 153 Don't Mention the "O" Word 155 The Paradox of Plenty 157 No Taxation Without Representation 159 The Devil's Excrement 163 What If? 165 A Witch's Brew 171 6 The Slumbering Giant Awakes 176 After the Storm 180 While Rome Burns... 184 Washington's Oil Curse 187 CAFE Culture 189 It's Not Easy Being Green 190 How Green Is Browne? 193 Beyond Hype 196 Dancing with Dinosaurs 201 End of the Oil Age 203 Part III: Manifold Destiny 205 7 Crouching Tiger, Leaping Dragon 207 How Many Planets? 209 Demography Is Not Destiny 211 The Key Is Carbon 215 Oiling the Wheels 219 The Next Detroit 221 The Cure from Curitiba 224 3–D Vision: Develop-Despoil-Detox 226 The Twenty-First-Century Detroit 228 A Great Leap Forward 233 A Particular Problem 237 No Free Lunch 240 Goldemberg's Sweet Victory 248 8 The Juice and the Jalopy 252 Gentlemen, Start Your Engines 257 Reduced Dependency or Risky Dead End? 259 The Biofuels Bandwagon 263 Leapfrogging Out of Big Oil's Tentacles 265 The Great Green Hope 267 The Power of Price 270 Manufacturing Gasoline 272 Electrifying the Jalopy 276 So How Does the Mojo Work? 279 Plugging Into the Future 282 Who Revived the Electric Car? 284 Hype or Hypercar? 286 Of Fuel Cells and Fallacies 292 The Race Is On! 296 9 A Call to Arms 300 Arnie's Green Brain 303 The Great Awakening 310 Austin Power 315 The Petro-Pragmatists and the Moon-Shooters 316 The Real Cost of Oil 320 Level the Playing Field 325 1 Americans need to pay honest prices for fossil fuels 329 2 The business of business is business 329 3 Leave it to the market to pick the winners 329 4 Government must act 330 5 Individual action is the essential catalyst for change 330 A Call to Arms 331 Bibliography 335 Index 341 A 341 B 342 C 342 D 343 E 344 F 344 G 345 H 346 I 346 J 347 K 347 L 347 M 347 N 347 O 348 P 348 R 349 S 349 T 349 U 350 V 350 W 350 Y 350 Z 350 Acknowledgments 351 About the Authors 353 About TWELVE 355 history;,automobiles;,oil;,petroleum,industry history,automobiles,oil,petroleum industry 'Zoom goes zero to sixty in nothing flat. It's an exciting ride into the future of the world's favorite physical object, the automobile.'-- Gregg Easterbrook, author of The Progress Paradox'Zoom offers a new way to think about cars and energy that's key to understanding the forces shaping business today. It's smart, well-informed and insightful--exactly what one would expect from two of The Economist's best journalists.'-- Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail'Zoom puts oil in its sights and squeezes off one telling round after another. Car lovers will see a sunny future with other fuels; OPEC a steadily darkening twilight.'-- R. James Woolsey, VP, Booz Allen Hamilton; former Director of Central Intelligence'An incisive analysis of the end of the petroleum age, including all its repercussions and opportunities.'-- Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures'Oil is the problem. Cars are the solution.'Those two simple sentences by the authors of Zoom define the scope of their illuminating and important book, an examination of a transformation in business and culture that is occurring before our eyes. We are living in the midst of a Great Awakening. People are seeking environmentally-sound alternatives to gas guzzlers. Detroit's reign is over. Oil companies, despite their billion-dollar profits, could be on the brink of extinction if they don't adapt. And citizens, all too aware that these industries have lobbied politicians into gridlock over energy policy, are mobilizing to support leaders who advocate new policies. In Zoom, Iain Carson and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, award-winning correspondents for The Economist, show why and how geopolitical and economic forces are compelling the linked industries of oil and autos to change as never before. Drawing on years of industry research-including dozens of interviews with motor and energy executives, top policymakers, and latter-day Fords and Edisons-Carson and Vaitheeswaran explain: How Toyota became the world's largest automaker through innovation and superior performance. Why American politicians have, for decades failed to address our energy issues and global warming-and how grassroots movements, along with individual entrepreneurs, innovators, and outsiders, are making real reform possible. How these Green revolutionaries are creating new products powered by hydrogen, electricity, bio-fuels, and digital technology. As political leaders debate our energy, environmental and economic future, Zoom offers a lucid and visionary portrait of what that future could be. Anyone planning to vote will find compelling truth in its assertions and conclusions. "Zoom goes zero to sixty in nothing flat. It's an exciting ride into the future of the world's favorite physical object, the automobile."-Gregg Easterbrook, author of THE PROGRESS PARADOX"Zoom offers a new way to think about cars and energy that's key to understanding the forces shaping business today. It's smart, well-informed and insightful--exactly what one would expect from two of The Economist's best journalists."-Chris Anderson, author of THE LONG TAIL"Zoom puts oil in its sights and squeezes off one telling round after another. Car lovers will see a sunny future with other fuels; OPEC a steadily darkening twilight."-R. James Woolsey, VP, Booz Allen Hamilton; former Director of Central Intelligence"An incisive analysis of the end of the petroleum age, including all its repercussions and opportunities."-Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures"Oil is the problem. Cars are the solution." Those two simple sentences by the authors of Zoom define the scope of their illuminating and important book, an examination of a transformation in business and culture that is occurring before our eyes. We are living in the midst of a Great Awakening. People are seeking environmentally-sound alternatives to gas guzzlers. Detroit's reign is over. Oil companies, despite their billion-dollar profits, could be on the brink of extinction if they don't adapt. And citizens, all too aware that these industries have lobbied politicians into gridlock over energy policy, are mobilizing to support leaders who advocate new policies. In Zoom, Iain Carson and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, award-winning correspondents for The Economist, show why and how geopolitical and economic forces are compelling the linked industries of oil and autos to change as never before.Drawing on years of industry research-including dozens of interviews with motor and energy executives, top policymakers, and latter-day Fords and Edisons-Carson and Vaitheeswaran explain: -How Toyota became the world's largest automaker through innovation and superior performance. -Why American politicians have, for decades failed to address our energy issues and global warming-and how grassroots movements, along with individual entrepreneurs, innovators, and outsiders, are making real reform possible.-How these Green revolutionaries are creating new products powered by hydrogen, electricity, bio-fuels, and digital technology.As political leaders debate our energy, environmental and economic future, Zoom offers a lucid and visionary portrait of what that future could be. Anyone planning to vote will find compelling truth in its assertions and conclusions. "Zoom goes zero to sixty in nothing flat. It's an exciting ride into the future of the world's favorite physical object, the automobile." -Gregg Easterbrook, author of THE PROGRESS PARADOX "Zoom offers a new way to think about cars and energy that's key to understanding the forces shaping business today. It's smart, well-informed and insightful--exactly what one would expect from two of The Economist's best journalists." -Chris Anderson, author of THE LONG TAIL "Zoom puts oil in its sights and squeezes off one telling round after another. Car lovers will see a sunny future with other fuels; OPEC a steadily darkening twilight." -R. James Woolsey, VP, Booz Allen Hamilton; former Director of Central Intelligence "An incisive analysis of the end of the petroleum age, including all its repercussions and opportunities." -Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures "Oil is the problem. Cars are the solution." Those two simple sentences by the authors of Zoom define the scope of their illuminating and important book, an examination of a transformation in business and culture that is occurring before our eyes. We are living in the midst of a Great Awakening. People are seeking environmentally-sound alternatives to gas guzzlers. Detroit's reign is over. Oil companies, despite their billion-dollar profits, could be on the brink of extinction if they don't adapt. And citizens, all too aware that these industries have lobbied politicians into gridlock over energy policy, are mobilizing to support leaders who advocate new policies. In Zoom, Iain Carson and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, award-winning correspondents for The Economist, show why and how geopolitical and economic forces are compelling the linked industries of oil and autos to change as never before. Drawing on years of industry research-including dozens of interviews with motor and energy executives, top policymakers, and latter-day Fords and Edisons-Carson and Vaitheeswaran -How Toyota became the world's largest automaker through innovation and superior performance. -Why American politicians have, for decades failed to address our energy issues and global warming-and how grassroots movements, along with individual entrepreneurs, innovators, and outsiders, are making real reform possible. -How these Green revolutionaries are creating new products powered by hydrogen, electricity, bio-fuels, and digital technology. As political leaders debate our energy, environmental and economic future, Zoom offers a lucid and visionary portrait of what that future could be. Anyone planning to vote will find compelling truth in its assertions and conclusions. The Terrible Twins : Cars And Oil Wrote The History Of Twentieth-century American Capitalism -- Down And Out In Detroit : How The Car Industry, The Icon Of American Greatness In The Last Century, Lost Its Way -- Big Oil In Big Trouble : The World Is Not Running Out Of Oil, But America's Oil Giants Are In Trouble Even So -- The Parable Of The Prius : How Toyota's Culture Propelled The Once-provincial Carmaker Past Gm To Number One -- The Axis Of Oil : Oil's Geopolitical Complications Arise From America's Bipartisan Addiction To Oil -- The Slumbering Giant Awakes : The Great Awakening Of America To The Dangers Of Oil Addiction And Global Warming Is Pushing Corporations To Act--but Can Big Business Really Solve The Problem? -- Crouching Tiger, Leaping Dragon : Asia's Rise Could Save, Rather Than Destroy, The Planet -- The Juice And The Jalopy : The Same Anarchic, Amazing Forces That Brought Us The Internet And Telecom Revolutions Are Now Racing To Develop The Clean Fuels And Smart Cars Of Tomorrow -- A Call To Arms : A Grass-roots Movement Sweeping Across America Promises To Overturn Washington's Oil Curse--and Level The Playing Field For Clean Energy And The Car Of The Future. Iain Carson And Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [321]-325) And Index. ZOOM takes readers inside the global race to build the car of the future as pioneers in Japan, India, China and the USA tackle the challenge of creating cars that will run on cleaner energy sources. ZOOM traces the history of the linked industries of oil and cars and how they have created both progress and peril. Toyota has become the world's largest car manufacturer and a leader in hybrid cars using electric power. The authors take us into the boardrooms of oil executives and show how some are boldly exploring new energy sources while others deny the dangers posed by oil - and risk extinction. We meet the Thomas Edison of the 21st century, a legendary inventor whose revolutionary work is already having a positive impact on the environment and the economy Reveals that the auto and oil industries are at a pivotal crossroads and have shaped domestic capitalism and the international landscape to create both progress and consequence, in an account that predicts a revolution in energy use and car manufacture.