#51 – Kelly Senecal & Felix Leach | Racing Toward Zero – The Untold Story of Driving Green

Kelly and Felix join to talk about their new book Racing Toward Zero – The Untold Story of Driving Green. Kelly Senecal is a co-founder and owner of Convergent Science. Felix Leach is an Associate Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, a post held jointly with that of Fellow and Tutor in Engineering Science at Keble College Order the book now: https://www.sae.org/publications/books/content/r-501/ Questions or comments? Send an email to [email protected]. Show notes: linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/racingtowardzero About Racing Toward Zero: In Racing Toward Zero, the authors explore the issues inherent in developing sustainable transportation. They review the types of propulsion systems and vehicle options, discuss low-carbon fuels and alternative energy sources, and examine the role of regulation in curbing emissions. All technologies have an impact on the environment, from internal combustion engine vehicles to battery electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles, and hybrids—there is no silver bullet. The battery electric vehicle may seem the obvious path to a sustainable, carbon-free transportation future, but it’s not the only, nor necessarily the best, path forward. The vast majority of vehicles today use the internal combustion engine (ICE), and this is unlikely to change anytime soon. Improving the ICE and its fuels—entering a new ICE age—must be a main route on the road to zero emissions. How do we go green? The future requires a balanced approach to transportation. It’s not a matter of choosing between combustion or electrification; it’s combustion and electrification. As the authors say, “The future is eclectic.” By harnessing the best qualities of both technologies, we will be in the best position to address our transportation future as quickly as possible. Kelly’s bio: Linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/senecal/ Kelly Senecal is a co-founder and owner of Convergent Science. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a co-founder and director of the Computational Chemistry Consortium (C3), and an associate editor of the journal Transportation Engineering. Kelly is a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), a member of the executive committee of the ASME ICE Division, a member of the board of advisors for the Central States Section of the Combustion Institute, and the 2019 recipient of the ASME Internal Combustion Engine Award. Felix’s bio: LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felix-leach-67713987/ Felix Leach is an Associate Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, a post held jointly with that of Fellow and Tutor in Engineering Science at Keble College. His research interests are in emissions and efficiency of thermal propulsion systems and air quality. He has focused particularly on particulate emissions from gasoline direct injection engines and developing a fundamental understanding of NOx emissions from diesel engines. Future of Mobility: The Future of Mobility podcast is focused on the development and implementation of safe, sustainable, and equitable mobility solutions, with a spotlight on the people and technology advancing these fields. linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/ brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/ Music credit: Slow Burn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License